


Caught in the Undertone

by Susimau



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Anal Sex, And Numb Hongjoong, Awkward Romance, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, Lingerie, M/M, MARS ASMR 3 Seonghwa, Mentions of drugging, Oral Sex, Power Bottom Hongjoong, Rock Singer!Hongjoong, Scouting Agent!Seonghwa, Seonghwa blushes a lot, Skirt Joong is there, Spanking, Squint to find Woosan, Sub Top Seonghwa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:02:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29005011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Susimau/pseuds/Susimau
Summary: Seonghwa works as a talent scout for KQ Entertainment. One day, the name Kim Hongjoong appears in his list of talents he has to check out. Upon viewing his cover of 'Numb', Seonghwa just knows that he has to reel in the man.The only issue is that he is incredibly shy, and Kim Hongjoong has the presence of a demon straight from hell.
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 40
Kudos: 268





	Caught in the Undertone

**Author's Note:**

> So this one is one monster of a fic inspired solely by the ateez solo contents.  
> Don't ask.

Seonghwa startled in his chair when a flattened hand slammed down on the table right next to his arm. With a jerk, he sat upright. Instinctively, his hands came up to sort his hair and fix his collar. However, when he took notice of the shadow that loomed over the pristine white table next to him, he sheepishly let his hands sink. He shyly adjusted his slipping glasses to hide the blood that pooled in his cheeks from embarrassment behind his hands.

“Ah, he finally awoke. Right on time to do an hour of overwork to catch up with everything he missed during his nap.”

Wincing, Seonghwa peered up at the strict face of his department chef. He attempted to put as much remorse in his eyes as possible, but his boss merely gave him a frosty smile. It oozed false friendliness, and before Seonghwa could make up some lame excuse, the man strode off. Once he dropped on his chair, he glared over the wall of his cubicle with his evil little button eyes one last time before he disappeared to fume by himself.

Seonghwa slumped into his chair.

He had spaced out again. Inwardly, he cursed himself. How was it that his mind only ever wandered to the could be’s and never stayed with the tasks at hand? One day it would cost him his job.

A low whistle accompanied the sound of footsteps approaching. Seconds later, Seonghwa’s coworker Yunho put his forearms on the wall of his cubicle and leaned in. He held a cup of coffee in his long fingers, and Seonghwa wanted to snatch it from him (even if he disliked the bitter brew.) He would kill for something warm to drink to soothe the cold disappointment in his heart right now. His preferable murder victim sat three cubicles over and had a dark cloud of evil intentions waver around him.

“The second week of work, and you already went to the moon twice. Careful, they might keep you as an intern if you don’t take this seriously.”

Yunho didn’t mock him. While his words were amused, worry laced them just the same. Yunho was a good guy; he wouldn’t want Seonghwa to get demoted.

Wincing, Seonghwa buried his hands in his hair as much as possible without messing the styled grey locks up. As if it wanted to bully him, the screen saver on his computer bounced from one corner to the next and gave away that he hadn’t worked for longer than five minutes. In a hint of shyness, he neatly placed his mouse in the middle of the dark pad and denied how much his hands shook.

“I’m trying. I’m incredibly sorry. I will apologise to the team leader later.” He bowed multiple times until Yunho took off again without further questions. Relieved, Seonghwa adjusted his little succulent, too, so that everything was orderly and back in place before he took up his work again.

Right, he had fallen asleep in the middle of reading a blog about some underground rap duo. It must have been incredibly boring if his mind went to such lengths, so he exited the page quickly.

He made sure to sit stiff as a board and keep his eyes wide open and serious for the rest of the work. Even as he stayed an hour longer with only his chef around, he didn’t slack even once.

With a few more names and sources to check out noted on his pad, he rose even ten minutes past 6 pm. Better be sincere about his apology.

Seonghwa packed his bag and checked his schedule table for his time. He marked the hour of sleep as break time so that he wouldn’t get extra pay for the overtime. Every brush of his pen against the paper hurt his heart a little.

With his bag clutched in his arms, he shuffled over to his chief then. He waited patiently and with his head lowered until the man finished hacking away on his keyboard furiously. Sometimes, it seemed as if he wanted to punch holes through the device.

“What do you want, Park?”

“I want to apologise, Sir!” Seonghwa bowed deeply. All the while, he clutched his black leather bag against his white shirt. He fixed his glasses when they slipped down his nose once more. “My work morale is high! I will promise to work double as hard tomorrow!”

His boss leered at him. Seonghwa tried a hopeful little smile. It must work his charm because his boss just sighed and made a shooing motion with his hand.

“I sure hope so, or I will report this slacking behaviour to the chairman. Now go home and rest there, so that you won’t do it at work.”

Hastily, Seonghwa bowed again. He put as much enthusiasm as possible in his weary body.

“Yes, Sir! Have a good day!”

“Yeah, you too.”

Seonghwa scurried off. Near the entrance, he struggled to get the coat from the hanger. It got caught in another person’s umbrella when it finally came off, and the object clattered to the ground loudly. With a murmured apology, Seonghwa put it back in his place carefully.

It took him a moment to figure his coat and bag out, but he managed shortly after. With another insecure goodbye, he stepped out into the corridor. He met another coworker from the Styling Department on his way out, and he greeted her with a shy smile that she kindly reciprocated. Then, he held his bag with both hands in front of his body as he awkwardly waited for the elevator. He hoped nobody saw that he had been sleeping earlier. He bet it would become the running gag of the break room if anybody heard of it. Thank God had Wooyoung been off work today, or he would have teased Seonghwa until forever.

Seonghwa rode the elevator seven stories down. As he peeped his ID on the passageway, he nodded at the security guards that boredly lingered near the entrance. With polite smiles, they wished him a nice day.

Only then, Seonghwa stepped out onto the windy streets of Seoul. In order to protect his hair, he hurried to the nearest subway station as fast as possible. Once his train arrived, he sat in between two older men neatly in the train. He had his feet pulled in orderly so nobody would trip over them, his bag in his lap, and scrolled through messages from his mum on his phone. She asked him if she could swing by to make some of his favourite soup this weekend. Of course, he agreed. He always looked forward to visits from her.

Seonghwa arrived home half an hour later. As he shuffled into his flat, he nearly tripped over the package on the floor before he remembered that he had ordered a new rack for his dishes to try on. Oh, the joys of adulthood. Giddy like a child on Christmas; he dragged the thing inside so that he could set it up first thing.

He ordered some food and shrugged his jacket off before he went right to putting up his newest investment. As expected, the quality was top-notch, and he reminded himself to leave the production firm a positive review later as he pieced it together. As usual, he had the time of his life with it, and once it sat over his sink and looked new and sparkly in its new environment, he specifically got a clean mug from the cupboard to try it out. After he held into under the water for a short moment, he put it on the metal bars and satisfiedly watched how the water dripped right back into the sink.

With a bit of a struggle, he convinced his phone to cooperate in snapping a picture of it for his mom. She praised his witty purchase.

His food arrived at his door not soon after, and Seonghwa thanked the motivated driver multiple times as he clumsily manoeuvred it inside. Next to his food, he even received a soft drink bottle he didn’t like for service. The gesture was sweet, though, so he left it in his fridge to bring Wooyoung later. While he ate, he gave positive feedbacks to both the rack firm and the food place.

Only then, after an evening well spent, he went to rest. He would need a lot of sleep to work hard tomorrow, after all.

-

“Good morning, Seongwha!”

Surprised, Seonghwa rose his eyes from the ground. He had just stepped into the elevator with a group of other well-behaved and neatly dressed coworkers. The cheerful voice that greeted him belonged to no one else but the one and only Jung Wooyoung, who squeezed into the lot with a big grin. With mumbles and discontent frowns, the people moved back as he pushed into them with a few half-hearted excuses. Once he was pressed up right against Seonghwa, the door closed.

Uncomfortable, Seonghwa tried to shift away from him as much as possible without elbowing anyone in their stomachs.

“Hey, Wooyoung.”

“You wouldn’t believe what happened to me yesterday! When I was out with San to get him that cast off his leg, we actually ran into some huge actor! Figures, San gets super shy and polite, calling him his senior and stuff, and that guy? He casually drops on us that he saw the dance covers San did and is a huge fan! Imagine how flustered he got us!”

As usual, Wooyoung’s voice was boisterous and loud not only for the time of day but also his general surroundings. The lady next to Seonghwa glared at the young man.

“O-Oh, that sounds great. You should tell me everything about it later during the break.” Seonghwa attempted to calm him down a bit, but Wooyoung didn’t take the hint. Rather, he even added wild gestures to his narration.

“If you see San later, ask him about it! They even took a picture together; I bet that he barely slept; he was that overjoyed!” Wooyoung continued on with no sign of stopping. Embarrassed for his behaviour, Seonghwa glanced at a few people apologetically.

Thankfully, some of them left the little cubicle before San and Wooyoung had to. Wooyoung worked on the tenth floor as a dance instructor, so he was one of the last people to get off.

“Sure, I will visit him and make sure everything is fine with his leg. Text me when you take a break with them, then I can swing by during lunch.” Seonghwa smiled at him and used his thumb and pointer finger to push his glasses back up. He should get new ones, but he just liked the thin golden frame's aesthetic too much to give it up.

They parted once Seonghwa arrived on his floor. With a prayer that no one left in the elevator would bug Wooyoung about his manners, Seonghwa went to greet his coworkers politely. At every room he passed, he peeked inside to bow to the people there. He was the youngest in his department, and even after being an intern for two years and finally getting employed fully, he had his respect to show. Most of them acknowledged him with good-natured smiles.

Seonghwa clocked in on time and was on his seat to start his computer with no hint of tiredness weighing his limbs down. He even went as far to get a coffee (with tons of sugar) to keep himself up.

He glanced at the picture of his family and his succulent named Bartholomew that stood next to Sir Stabbington III, a truly prickly fellow of a cactus. Then, he cracked his knuckles and went to work. His fingers tapped away on the keyboard as he searched up one after the other of the names on his notebook. He opened every single source he could find for them and sorted the better ones into separate folders so he could show them to Yunho later.

Compared to the day prior, he spent his morning working hard and hacking away on his keyboard just as his chef would. One time when Yunho made his rounds, he even commented about Seonghwa’s hard work to their department boss. Swelling in pride, Seonghwa had typed all the faster.

When it was time for his break, he went to visit Wooyoung and the team. They took a ten-minute break from dancing, and San sat on the sidelines to watch the choreography until he was allowed to practice again. He gladly told Seonghwa about his encounter with his actor senior while Jongho, Mingi, and Yeosang laid on the floor, panting and heaving for breath. Wooyoung still bounced from the walls.

An hour later, Seonghwa returned to his desk. He ticked off the third to last name on the list and switched over to YouTube to check out the next one. As he typed in ‘Kim Hongjoong’ in the search bar, he was looking for the cover of a fabled song the underground rapper had recently published. He had been highly praised by fans and magazines alike, and his popularity called for some attention from them.

Seonghwa expected some kid in an untidy room who sang into his phone, maybe even just one of the weird lip-syncing videos that kids recorded these days. The top recommendation was anything but.

The thumbnail of the video pictured a young man with heavy eyeliner and dark hair. He stood in front of a grimy mirror with his hands supported by his hips. His stance exuded power, and mindlessly, Seonghwa scribbled down the current number of hits on the video. He had some possible talents with more; others had less. This video fell into the expected spectrum.

As he plugged in his earphones and adjusted the volume to his liking, Seonghwa hummed under his breath. He knew the song that was being covered. Back in the day in his emo teenage years, he had loved bands such as the original artist. His expectations for the cover were high.

The video started with a glitch of Kim standing in front of his mirror. He changed outfits in what Seonghwa considered to be some visually symbolic choice. From the beginning, he liked the colours. He also already noted that Kim had participated in the arrangement of the song for later reference.

Once the video actually started, Seonghwa was… struck.

Kim Hongjoong was an extraordinarily handsome young man, that much had been anticipated. It had been part of why he was on this list, after all. However, seeing the alternative rock singer in his element rather than on some still picture with a frozen smile had something shift in Seonghwa.

Kim was shown leaning against an opaque window in a run-down room. In the beginning, he just looked around, surrounded by wisps of smoke and showing off his sculpted jawline. Seonghwa watched him with attentive eyes, his fingers poised to scribble on his notepad. In this arrangement, the originally prominent guitar tunes were missing, but they didn’t take too much off the song.

Then, after the first few introductive melodies had settled, Kim looked right at Seonghwa. His dark eyes were lidded lazily as he seemed to stare right through the screen and into the man’s very soul. Seonghwa’s heart stuttered in his chest when a pale tongue appeared in the corner of Kim’s lips.

He felt so very targeted by that stare.

Seonghwa didn’t even notice himself lean back slightly when the man in the video pushed off the window and neared the camera. His breath escaped him audibly once Kim finally lowered his eyes again. A red light lighted his pointy and distinct features that Seonghwa absent-mindedly noted as good filming choice.

Ringed fingers with black painted nails came up to hold onto a white microphone. Then, he started with the first line.

_I’m tired of being what you want me to be._

Seonghwa tapped his foot to the familiar tunes. Kim’s singing was good, considering his main occupation as a rapper. Even his English pronunciation didn’t lack. He didn’t have the same husky tone to his voice as Chester did, but he made up for it by giving more power into each syllable and taking some of the more harmonious parts away.

Maybe Seonghwa lost himself slightly in the first verse. Kim acted a bit, rolling his eyes at the pressure and harsh expectation from parents that drove their children into the depression that the song expressed.

When the primary chorus hit, his gestures got wilder. For the first time, Seonghwa really noticed the half skirt that he wore over his black jeans.

He swallowed at the charisma that the man portrayed seemingly effortlessly. The person that helped him film the video certainly had experience in their field, too. Seonghwa was fully enraptured.

Kim looked into the camera an appropriate amount of times. He wasn’t shy around it, and the little smirks that played around his lips often spoke of his performance awareness. His facial expressions were great.

Seonghwa stiffened on the chair when the man was particularly rude after the first chorus ended. He took the mic from its stand, and for a second, he looked absolutely devilish as he stared into the camera. A broad smirk that was nothing but savage adorned his face, and his tongue once more made an appearance, as he suggestively licked over his bottom lip. With his mind empty and his fingers slack, Seonghwa just continued to watch.

Kim fell into rap now. He switched over to Korean, and his voice dropped as he spat his bars as if he wanted to set the world on fire. The second verse would have been difficult for him to sing, so he substituted it with his more skilled rap. A genius choice.

His jeans were ripped.

Seonghwa felt personally attacked when the man chose to spring around the room to bring more action to the video. He didn’t quite dance, but he moved fluently and with the expertise a performer had. Once he went back to his stand after his rap, Seonghwa was nearly glad.

The singer was into it. He screamed his soul out into the mic and showed all the displeasure and guilt that young fans of ‘Numb’ had shown back in the day with his whole body. Seonghwa was on the edge of his seat.

In between the second chorus and the ending was a part that Kim must have refined himself. Instead of the emotional bridge that was supposed to be there, he cut all vocals. The clip featured lots of flashing lights in the video and a musical remix of the original. It gave the song an even more personal note, making it distinctively to Kim’s cover, rather than just another version of the same song. Then, he fell into quiet, reduced sounds with bare hints of a piano in the background instead of the grand finale of triple a chorus.

_I've become so numb  
I can't feel you there  
Become so tired  
So much more aware_

In the ending lines, Kim’s voice doubled in his low main lines and higher ones in the background vocals that responded to him.

_I'm becoming this  
All I want to do  
Is be more like me  
And be less like you_

He dragged the last word. Then, another smirk and a faint giggle that painfully yanked at Seonghwa’s heart appeared. At once, Kim stepped back to the window from before. His head was angled away as he hid behind his hair.

Seonghwa didn’t react when the last few seconds played. Kim walked down a corridor in a ripped sweater that showed some of the skin on his back. He glanced over his shoulder, but in the bright mist that surrounded him, his eyes didn’t meet the camera. With the clicking of heels on the ground, he disappeared into the light.

Then, end.

Immediately, YouTube popped up with its replay button and boring screen that recommended further research to Seonghwa. The sudden change of scenery snapped him out of his trance.

Seonghwa felt numb, quite literally, when he looked around. For a moment, he was completely disoriented. The setting of his office and orderly table came back to him only slowly, and his ears picked back up on his coworkers talking with each other. The printer did its pitiful rattling in the background.

Blinking, Seonghwa pulled the earphones from his ears.

He took a second to just stare at the screen that showed no rock singer any longer. Just the thumbs up button of the video that winked at Seonghwa seductively, but he wasn’t allowed to click it with his working computer.

After a glance at Batholomew that was meant to convey ‘did you see what I did’, Seonghwa slumped back in his chair.

Then, he looked up. The movement startled Yunho, who had been leaning on his cubicle as he explained a task to one of their interns. He shooed the girl off before he turned to Seonghwa with a concerned frown etched into his features. With a peer from his tall position, he made sure their boss didn’t eye them. Then, he worriedly leaned down to whisper to Seonghwa conspiratorially.

“Seonghwa, are you alright? You look a bit out of it.” Carefully, as if he didn’t want to startle Seonghwa, he reached out to push Seonghwa’s glasses up. Seonghwa merely blinked at him confusedly.

“Ah- Yes. I only found something quite good.”

Only. The word only didn’t do any justice to the piece Kim Hongjoong had created. It was a compositional artwork for a person who hadn’t been in the industry for long.

“That’s good news! Will you show me later?” Yunho’s cheerful smile helped to ground Seonghwa. He nodded timidly. Maybe he would have to take a bathroom break and wash his face with cold water to completely return to earth. Kim had blown him away with his cover.

At Seonghwa’s nod, Yunho grinned brightly and then went back to work. In the meantime, Seonghwa sneaked off to the bathroom. When he saw his face in the mirror, he noticed his slightly flushed cheeks and widened pupils. He looked like a cat that had gotten a big whiff of catnip and spaced out three dimensions into the future. As he quickly fixed his appearance, flashes of a handsome grin and eyeliner-framed eyes haunted his mind. Even though everything was in place, he checked that his socks were pulled up neatly, that his shirt was tucked into his black pants, and that his braces didn’t bunch up his pristine shirt.

He returned refreshed and back to his professional self. No doubt, Kim was the biggest contestant of this round’s talents they should check out. Motivated to get his name to the higher-ups, Seonghwa dropped down on his chair and pulled his notebook over.

Dumb, he stared at it.

Seonghwa had not written a single word down after the first twenty seconds of the video.

Cursing himself, Seonghwa reached for the mouse. He denied how his fingers trembled when he clicked the replay button. With steely determination, he jotted a few other points down as he watched Kim sing once more.

Styling choice. Self-written lyrics that fit the original song. Performance. Presence. Charisma. Skill. Some more that he could remind Yunho of later.

He also took a few screenshots of the man’s gestures and facial expressions to print out. In case Yunho wanted him to look into Kim, he also sent them to his private e-mail to the other folders from possible talents. The grin Hongjoong sported in some of the pictures taunted Seonghwa. Quickly, he averted his eyes from then and focused on something else.

Once Seonghwa finished with Kim and considered his job a win, he only had one more person to check out. The girl was talented, that was for sure. Her dancing lacked some professional aspects, but she could work it out in Seonghwa’s opinion if the chief considered her.

As he printed out all of his materials for the four out of fifteen people he had noted, Seonghwa stood nervously next to Bertha the printer. His neatly trimmed fingernails thrummed on the humming machine as he waited for his papers to finish. In the middle of sorting them into their respective folders, Kim’s grin from the shots taunted Seonghwa. He muttered under his breath as he jotted down the keywords to the respective pictures down in the corner of the sheet. Not as if anybody could overlook them, but he needed to make sure.

Seonghwa marched straight up to Yunho once he finished. As he lowered the files neatly on the man’s table, he finished the phone call that had busied him. They sat down together, and Seonghwa went through his list and explained all factors to Yunho. All the while, Yunho typed out a complete file that their chief would read over before he approved of them. Kim was the last, and when Yunho flipped the map open, he chuckled surprised.

“Oh, hello there.”

Mortified, Seonghwa stared at a very broadly grinning and devilishly handsome Kim Hongjoong. He had left the picture on top as he slapped the map shut earlier, not being able to bear looking at the man any longer.

“Ah, this is-”

“Kim Hongjoong, yes. I worked on him this morning, too. Boss already told me to check him out; he had his eyes on him for a while. He saw your list last night and told me that if you approved him, we would contact him.”

Yunho flicked through the files and nodded satisfied at Seonghwa’s work. Small like a mouse next to the tall man, Seonghwa perched next to him.

In the end, Yunho handed him Kim’s folder back without typing out a single word. Confused, Seonghwa took it back to press against his chest.

“Here. Write him an e-mail.”

It took the words a second to register in Seonghwa’s brain. Then, his eyes went wide.

“Me?! Why me?”

Yunho chuckled at him.

“Why, you looked quite invested earlier. Also, since you still need training, I suggested it to the boss. You take him, and I will distribute the other ones once we got the approval.”

Yunho’s grin was all too knowing, and it had Seonghwa shyly look down at his hands in his lap. He wasn’t confident in his skills as a talent scout yet, and garnering Kim's attention in the name of their whole team seemed like too much pressure on his young shoulders. Hesitant, he remained rooted in the spot. Yunho patted his shoulder with an empathetic coo.

“Don’t worry too much. This department won’t blow up just because he refuses you. He has every right, you know?”

“Yeah but- It would be better if I reeled him in! And I think I’m not good at that.”

Yunho stood to pay a visit to the Bertha. His words were final.

“Then this is your opportunity to learn. An e-mail won’t hurt him. Get to work.”

Seonghwa slinked back to his table to drop down on his chair heavily. As he began to gnaw on his knuckles nervously, he glanced at the contact data that Kim’s social media accounts offered for business inquiries. Slow like a snail in the grass, Seonghwa used one finger to type it into the bar on top of his e-mail.

Then, he fell into despair about the title of the mail. Interest in Scouting? Contract Offer? Company Attention? One sounded worse than the other.

With one eye closed as if he could fend off the responsibility if he didn’t look at it, Seonghwa typed in Scouting Offer. Yunho would read over it if Seonghwa asked nicely, and he would change it if it were complete garbage.

With his tongue stuck between his teeth, Seonghwa spent a good half an hour trying to figure out how to write less than ten lines of text. It had to be absolutely perfect in his opinion, and only the impending end of work kept him on it. He nearly looked up the basic school rules on e-mail writing again; he was that insecure. It felt odd, way more personal and individual than a general and stiff work mail would be. Seonghwa needed the artist in Hongjoong to like the text, not to sound overly formal and smart.

When the bell rang and announced the end of his shift, Seonghwa sunk back into his soft chair. He read over the text again.

_Dear Mister Kim Hongjoong,_

_Warm greetings from the Department of Talent Management of KQ Entertainment._

_We are a company specialising in the growth and popularity of rising talents in music, dance, and performance._

_Due to your amazing skill in one or more of these categories, we would like to get into contact with you and discuss possible business prospects._

_If you are interested in becoming part of an official team that will support your musical career and offer great new opportunities, please reply back to this e-mail in a timely manner._

_Best Wishes_

_Park Seonghwa, Talent Agent_

It was… too formal. It sounded incredibly boring in Seonghwa’s opinion, but Seonghwa had no idea how to make it better.

He gnawed on his lips and reconsidered his every word for the tenth time when sudden steps halted right behind him. Yunho’s big hand settled over his on the mouse and gently directed him to the send button. He clicked it.

With a squawk, Seonghwa whipped around.

“I wasn’t done with that!”

Chuckling, Yunho adjusted the strap of his bag over his shoulder.

“Yes, you were. Come on; I’ll buy you dinner for a job well done.”

That was a good offer. Instantly, Seonghwa forgave him his sudden decision. If Yunho had left it to him, he would have spent his time overthinking until all eternity anyway.

Seonghwa hurried to pack up and say goodbye to the few colleagues still around. As he jogged over to the door, Yunho already held his jacket out for him, so that Seonghwa wouldn’t have to struggle with it, like always. With a little ‘thanks’ he slipped it on.

He still tripped over the threshold on his way out. With a tired chuckle, Yunho just hooked their arms together and led him out of the building.

-

Seonghwa’s disappointment was intense.

He had checked his mail seven times already. Two times after he returned home in the evening after his dinner with Yunho, three times the following day during work, and then another two times the day later. Upon Yunho’s suggestion, he had even sent out another message, but no reply returned to him.

Seonghwa didn’t know if he had messed up and Kim was just plain disinterested, or if he had the wrong contact data.

Yunho brought the matter up during a team discussion. The chief told Seonghwa to try harder since he was determined to at least get in contact with Kim personally once. Seonghwa was at a loss of what to do. He could only manage to watch that cover another seven times. During the past two days, he had also considered the man’s other works. When Yunho had suggested he followed the man’s social media with his private account to oversee his activity sneakily, Seonghwa enjoyed it maybe a tad bit too much to sometimes see dramatic black and white selfies of the singer pop up in his feed.

On the fourth day after his first mail, Seonghwa spotted something vaguely interesting. As he checked his phone during the break to text his mum that he loved her with the number of days added ever since he moved out from home (they did this every day) he also stumbled upon a new post.

A photo of Kim on a stage curled around his mic while a crowd cheered at him. The caption read: _After a month of hiatus, I can finally announce my second club tour. Check out the tour dates and get your tickets quickly! Can’t wait to rock with you all!_ He also put a skull emoji and the rock salute emoji behind it. Seonghwa found it oddly endearing.

He swiped right to check out the dates. Kim toured through twelve clubs within three weeks, and they were scattered all around Seoul. Two were even in Busan. The first date listed was next Friday.

Seonghwa gnawed on his lips as he considered. His unsure eyes travelled from his phone to Yunho, who sat at the break table and played Candy Crush Saga. No matter how often he swore that he only solved his mum's difficult levels, Seonghwa didn’t believe him a word.

With his final resolution set, Seonghwa went over to him. He waited for Yunho to win his level and fist-bump the air with a loud cheer before he began to talk. Careful, he handed his phone over.

“I wanted to ask you if it would maybe make sense for us to send a scout to his show. We could access him directly and get a better idea of his skill. Do we do that?”

Yunho hummed as he read through the post. Then, he whipped out his phone with a big grin on his face.

“We so do. The department pays for the ticket, which day works best for you? Friday or Saturday? Ah, those might be crowded, though.” Yunho quickly typed a message, probably to their boss. Seonghwa sat next to him with his mouth open in surprise.

“Wha-”

Yunho regarded him with sly eyes.

“What, did you think anybody but you would go? This one’s your responsibility, Seonghwa. Make sure you use this opportunity wisely.” With those words, he typed the account data from his phone into the ticket buying service on Seonghwa’s. By the time Seonghwa received his phone back, a large blue tick and a message of ‘payment accepted, enjoy the show’ showed on his display.

With his stomach dropping below his knees, Seonghwa stared at Yunho. He felt entirely helpless.

He received another coo.

“Aw, don’t look at me like that. You can do it! Tell me how it went afterwards.”

Seonghwa went back to work with his mind full of thoughts about how he had a ticket to a rock concert on Saturday. A rock concert that he didn’t belong to, and that had a far too attractive singer that Seonghwa was supposed to recruit in its centre.

By the time he went home for the weekend, Seonghwa’s stomach was in nervous twists. He already wondered what he was supposed to wear and how to act about this. On Monday, he needed to ask Yunho first thing about what was expected of him during recruitment. While he had the theoretical aspects down, he still lacked the charisma and the distinct KQ style. If he had no represent his company, he should at least do a decent job about it.

A weekend of Seonghwa reading into witty ways how to spike people’s interest and researching about alternative rock and Kim Hongjoong himself passed. By the time Seonghwa managed to drag Yunho off to interview him, he already felt as if he had read every article on the internet how to convince people to work with him.

“Don’t worry too much,” Yunho had said. “If you try to be a different person than you are, he will feel lied to. Best if you just try your own way and see how he reacts. You can still adjust then.”

Seonghwa was no spontaneous person. He planned ahead most of the times, and the thought about making a fool of himself in front of Kim terrified him.

Saturday came by sooner than it was supposed to. Seonghwa could swear the week skipped three days at least.

Two hours before the show began, Seonghwa still stood in front of his wardrobe with a pensive hand on his chin. The trip with line 2 would take him to the club in less than an hour, and the early autumn weather also didn’t scare him off from waiting for a bit rather than arriving too late.

Usually, for such an event, Seonghwa would wear a plain shirt and some jeans. But since he went in the name of his company, Seonghwa doubted this was appropriate attire.

In the end, he forewent the braces and slipped into a very daring light blue button-up shirt and black suit pants. He considered his looks in the mirror for a second while he adjusted his tie. Maybe he should leave the top button open? It was racier than he would usually go for, but he tested it out anyway.

As he twisted and turned in front of the mirror, he found his looks wildly inappropriate for the office. For the club, however, it should work.

Seonghwa neatly combed his hair and adjusted his glasses. Then, he packed his messenger bag and a few files for Kim that he could hand the man and set out. As usual, his ride in the subway was peaceful, and by the time he arrived, the club had already opened. The music's bass sounded out onto the street, and a few visitors lingered around the entrance and leaned against the walls of the alley with cigarettes between their fingers. With lowered eyes, Seonghwa passed them and stepped into the entrance area.

He had to show his ticket to a bouncer near the entrance before they let him in. The thrumming music inside was deafeningly loud and mixed with the voices of hundreds of people that squeezed in the narrow space like chickens on a barn. It had Seonghwa’s confidence plummet, but he bravely made his way through to the bar. He ordered a non-alcoholic beverage and curiously overlooked the room while he waited for it to arrive. Heavy bass thrummed through his stomach.

The little hall he had found himself in was the lowest level of some old office building. The stone walls were naked and blearily white so they wouldn’t mess with the colourful light reflections. The tall ceiling had the music of the DJ echo through the room as he heated up the crowd. Some overjoyed youths were bouncing and jumping as they threw their hair around wildly, while others still enjoyed their drinks and stood in little groups to chat. A plethora of different perfumes and body odours filled the cool air and mingled in a mix that was distinctively human. Paired with the stench of alcohol, though, Seonghwa knew that it would make him nauseous further into the evening.

Seonghwa considered himself unfit for the club scene. The loudness and amount of people could quickly drain his battery, and he was just plain too awkward to enjoy the socialising function very much. He was already glad that nobody tried to befriend him until the DJ announced the show started. Seonghwa barely understood him through the mic, and the cheers of the crowd always came slightly too soon and took away some parts of his speech.

Either way, he ended on a change of atmosphere. Above their heads, the headlights adjusted towards the stage and bathed the room in a deep red light that made Seonghwa’s shirt appear black. Blinking underneath his fringe until his sight adjusted, Seonghwa sat stiffly on the barstool and waited for Kim to appear. As his eyes still searched the people running over the stage for the right person, his attention snapped right up to the one person that entered from the right.

Distracted, he grabbed the drink that a bartender slid him. It tasted sweet of strawberries.

The newcomer moved slower than the rest, and when Seonghwa squinted his eyes, he also detected the half skirt that hung around his hips. From what he saw in the distance, Kim wore the exact same outfit as he had done in his cover video.

With his fingers clenched around his glass in his lap, Seonghwa watched him stride up to the middle of the stage and grab onto the stand with his white microphone that had been prepared.

The crowd never quietened, but some of his fans quickly diverted their attention to him. They cheered and called his name as he got everything ready.

Goosebumps erupted all over Seonghwa’s skin when the first few tunes of Numb started.

Kim’s eyes swept over the crowd as his hands came up to wrap around his mic. Seonghwa nearly snorted at the sweater paws his red turtleneck gave him. His ability of humour was impaired by the anticipation and coil of nervousness in Seonghwa’s chest.

“Welcome here tonight. This one goes out to all those of you that feel caught in the undertone. Enjoy your night.”

He spoke low and sultry, his voice far too quiet to be heard by everyone. With exceptional attention, Seonghwa managed to pick up on it. He crossed his arms over his bag in his lap as he leaned forward, expectant.

Kim started his song with his smooth and calm first lines. His pitch rose slightly over the speakers, but his voice sounded fitting to what Seonghwa had heard before. The moment he fell into the chorus, a switch flicked inside of him. He ripped the mic from its stand nearly forcefully and jumped across the stage with enough energy and power to incite his whole crowd. They cheered his name, reacted to his every yell and growl into the mic, and bounced to the beat.

All too easily, he swept them with him like a wave in the ocean. Nobody ignored the music anymore, and the faces around Seonghwa showed joy and thrill.

Kim didn’t get breathy. He was more furious live, more vivid and swept up in the moment. He carried the crowd, and the crowd carried him. The born performer.

Seonghwa was as enthralled as the rest of them. Like a spell of magic that promised pleasure and rapture to him, Kim’s voice wrapped around him. It was as red as the lights in the room, and it seduced Seonghwa to blatant forgetfulness. For a moment, there was not a single office paper he worried about. Nothing else on the world mattered but the rock singer on that little stage as he screamed his soul into the void.

The song ended all too soon and left Seonghwa feeling empty. While the crowd cheered at Kim and his smug smirk, Seonghwa took a sip of his drink. The cool liquid soothed his parched throat.

While Kim introduced himself on the stage, the bartender ultimately came up to chat with Seonghwa. His hair was a funny mix of blond and black, and he wore a labret piercing through his lower lip.

“Oi. You enjoying the show?”

Seonghwa nodded once he succeeded to rip his eyes off Hongjoong’s form. The black and red clothes he wore looked great on him. Seonghwa wondered if the company could even offer him anything he didn’t have yet.

“Yeah. He’s good.”

“You’re not the typical party animal, are you? Here for work?”

With the way the man suspiciously eyed Seonghwa up and down, Seonghwa hurried to lift his hands defensively. A nervous giggle escaped him.

“I’m not making trouble. I’m here to scout him on behalf of my entertainment firm.”

That had the man lift a brow at him, impressed.

“Hongjoong?”

Seonghwa nodded enthusiastically. Then, he got one of his business cards out of his bag. He accidentally spilt the mess of cables that his wired headphones were on the floor, but a nearby dancing girl was kind enough to pick them up for him before he had to stand up. He thanked her with a smile. Without comment, she danced off into the crowd.

The barkeeper whistled at the sight of the card.

“KQ, huh? Back when I did auditions for dance, your company was on my list. I heard good things about you guys.”

Seonghwa inclined his head, intrigued.

“You didn’t make the auditions?”

The man shook his head.

“I did, but I decided I wanted to open my own club instead. It worked out for me.” He had to yell over the heavy bass of Hongjoong’s next performance to be audible to Seonghwa. Seonghwa screamed back.

“I’m glad for you then!”

The other man strode off to his next customer with a last nod at Seonghwa. Idly, he slurped his strawberry drink as he watched Kim burning up the stage. By the time he took a break for a drink and left it to his DJ to keep the people busy, it was nearly empty.

Kim’s performance lasted a total of one and a half hours. He performed Numb again at the very end of his gig, and then he handed it over to the DJs and fellow artists after that. As soon as he disappeared from the stage, Seonghwa also readied his things.

The barkeeper reappeared before he could try to sneak his way around to the back, though.

“Hey, want me to get Hongjoong over? He’ll need a drink anyway, and you wouldn’t have to fight the bouncers.”

Seonghwa gave him a grateful smile. It probably came out looking crooked and pained, as Wooyoung liked to describe it.

“Who tells you I wouldn’t have won?”

With a laugh, the man left his position to hurry across the room. He disappeared behind some door that red ‘Staff Only’. Seonghwa kicked his legs that didn’t reach until the floor with how high his chair was. It was a welcome change.

While he sat completely alone with no protective barkeeper nearby, a woman approached him. She had long silky black hair and wore glittering jewellery that reflected the light. Her sultry red dress was tight and short like some of Seonghwa’s shirts. When she sat down next to him, she purposefully posed her body to accentuate her exposed cleavage. Politely, Seonghwa looked away. When she noticed, the woman pouted her red lips at him.

“Hey there, handsome. Are you alone here?”

Seonghwa shifted and withstood the need to throw a searching gaze over his shoulder. He wasn’t a kid lost at the mall.

“Ah, yes, but I’m not here to party.” With a little smile, he adjusted his glasses. The hand in front of his eyes hid his blush and gave him another reason to advert his eyes from her. Yet, she leaned in closer.

“Should I accompany you while you do whatever that isn’t partying?”

Uncomfortable, Seonghwa scratched his neck. His eyes flickered around. He heard the voices of some men behind him, but he didn’t want to make a scene by asking them to busy the woman. What was he supposed to say to send her off politely?

“Ah, no, I-”

“I could buy you a drink, at least!”

While she beckoned the second barkeeper over, Seonghwa sneaked a quick glance over his shoulder. No club owner or rock singer in sight yet. It felt as if there had never been a longer mission for a barkeeper to accomplish than get Kim.

Seonghwa looked back over when the woman slid him his drink. It was a different one than before, and it carried the sweet note of alcohol with it. Seonghwa withstood the need to scrunch up his nose.

“Here you go, sweetie.”

Doubtful, Seonghwa stared at his glass. He didn’t want to tell her that he didn’t drink alcohol since she paid for it, but he also hesitated to take even a sip. Even outside of his normal low ability to stomach it, he wasn’t very keen on drinking in these surroundings and without people with him.

“Uh-”

Seonghwa was finally saved by the barkeeper who stepped back behind the counter. At the moment he looked up, an exhausted but also positively glowing Kim Hongjoong dropped into the chair right next to Seonghwa. He was in the middle of tapping the sweat from his brow with a towel, but he had the mind to pause and throw Seonghwa a smile that was supposed to be friendly. In the club setting, it merely had him look demonic again. Seonghwa fidgeted at his closeness. The man carried a faint smell of heavy perfume that vexed Seonghwa’s senses and cigarette smoke.

“Hey, Vi. Your friends are searching for you near the stage.” The barkeeper addressed the woman with smooth nonchalance. Seonghwa admired his skill to speak. A skill he was supposed to have in his job.

“Oh, they are? Well, excuse me, then. See you later, handsome.” With a flying kiss that she threw in Seonghwa’s direction, she strutted off. Seonghwa exhaled audibly. Next to him, Kim chuckled.

“Can’t believe she is here again. Who always lets her in? If this continues, I will report her personally and drag her to the station.” The barkeeper furiously tapped away on his phone. Seonghwa wondered if he called the police on her. Did she trespass?

“Maybe it’s time actually to do that, Youjin. One day she might actually get someone in real trouble.”

Kim’s voice was slightly more nasal when he just spoke. Once Youjin finished his message and handed him a bottle of water, he put the towel down.

“I might just do that… Even if her man’s rich enough to buy her right back out, maybe he deserves the few thousands less in his wallet.”

Seonghwa exchanged concerned glances with the two men. Both of their faces were grim, and Seonghwa had no idea what was going on.

When Kim noticed his eyes on him, he gave Seonghwa a reassuring smile. His eyeliner made his eyes look oh so compelling. Seonghwa blushed at the attention to this beauty of a man, and this time he felt comfortable with it. No wonder, he had always looked at men with interest rather than women.

“Your drink?” With a painted nail, Kim pointed at the untouched glass in front of Seonghwa. Upon his nod, he reached over with his ringed fingers. As he pulled it into his own hand, his eyes looked Seonghwa up and down as if he had to evaluate him. Seonghwa noticed one of his little fingers that had a red-painted nail instead of black in the back of his mind. A cute little detail.

“Youjin told me you were interested in an… agreement with me.” Kim pretended as if he didn’t lick his lips in the middle of that sentence. Seonghwa blamed it on the humid air. If he thought too much about Kim’s tongue, his heart might give up on him. He distracted himself with professionalism.

“I am, yes. I’m from KQ, we tried to reach you via e-mail, but you didn’t reply.”

“Ah.” With an embarrassed chuckle, Kim lowered his eyes. His lashes fanned out over his cheeks, then Seonghwa’s eyes followed his line of sight. One of Kim’s fingers stirred the drink in front of him, and lazily played with the ice inside.

“I don’t check my mails often. It’s swamped with fan mail.”

So much to business inquiries. Seonghwa knew the struggle.

Kim retracted his finger and held it against the light. Amazed, Seonghwa watched the red colour gradually blend into black and fit the other ones. A reaction to the alcohol?

With a tsk-ing noise, Kim grabbed the glass and leaned over the counter to dump it into the sink on the other side. Youjin came over to take the glass from him with cautious eyes.

“Call the police on her already. If she abducts someone here, then you also get in trouble. Her politician boy lover or whatever he is can remain anonymous.”

With a curse on his lips, Youjin waved one of the bouncers over and told him to throw the woman named Vi from earlier out and call the police on her. Curious, Seonghwa watched the exchange and the familiarity that the bouncer’s eyes portrayed at the name.

Youjin returned with his head between his shoulders. His apologetic eyes switched in between Seonghwa and Kim.

“So sorry, lads. I hope this doesn’t dampen your meeting. You can sit in the office if you want. I don’t mind.”

Kim nodded diplomatically.

“Then give the man a drink on me.”

At that news, Seonghwa perked up. When the realisation that he had already failed step one, the introduction, hit him, he took a mental beating from his boss. With a wince, he held out his hand to Kim.

“I’m terribly sorry I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Park Seonghwa, but you can call me Seonghwa.”

Grinning, Kim shook his hand with his much smaller one. The fabric of his sweater pressed against Seonghwa’s palm.

“Hongjoong.”

Seonghwa received his drink from Youjin directly. Then, he followed behind Hongjoong with his bag clutched in his arm. The man securely led him along the wall and through the door that Seonghwa had seen earlier. He held it open for Seonghwa to step through, and as soon as it closed, the loud music also got muffled. Relieved, Seonghwa followed Kim up some stairs into the office. No strong smell or many people were around to overstimulate his senses anymore.

“What was that just now? The girl?”

Seonghwa closed the door behind him as Hongjoong dropped down on the couch on the left side of the room. There was only one, so Seonghwa settled on the other end of it with an appropriate distance between the two of them. Hongjoong sat down his water bottle on the table in front of them and pushed his hair back. It still stuck sweatily to his forehead.

He looked unfairly good anyway. Self-conscious, Seonghwa smoothed out his shirt.

“She is notorious in Hongdae for trying to roofie people’s drinks. She did that to you earlier. My nail polish reacts to rape drugs. Guess we had good timing.” Hongjoong wagged his little finger with the different coloured nail at Seonghwa. Dumbfounded, Seonghwa just clutched his bag.

“She- Then she belongs reported!”

“Correct, but since she dates a person with power, some club owners are too shy to do that and usually just ban her. Seems like Youjin had enough.”

The idea of nearly getting poisoned reasonably upset Seonghwa. Shaken, he adjusted his glasses to distract himself. Something akin to pity flashed in Hongjoong’s eyes.

“You’re fine, though. Nothing bad happened. Drink and relax.”

Seonghwa despised clubs for this very reason. He felt far too unsafe to have fun.

“Anyways, tell me about your offer. You sure look as if you came here for business.”

The little friendly jab went unnoticed by Seonghwa when he scrambled to unpack his notes. A few went flying to the ground when he accidentally spilt them from his bag, and his phone followed.

He winced.

With a chuckle, Hongjoong helped him to pick his things back up. Seonghwa sorted them on the couch between the two of them.

Hongjoong slumped against the soft leather underneath their bodies. His legs were spread, and Seonghwa could spot the few slivers of skin on his thighs where his black jeans were ripped. The skirt with its tartan print sprawled over his crotch like a little blanket. He watched Seonghwa while his ringed fingers mindlessly played with the cap of his bottle. Smoothly, Seonghwa focused his gaze back on the papers instead of the man's welcoming and open body language.

As clearly as Hongjoong was up for anything, Seonghwa shouldn’t have imaginations of his fingers pulling Hongjoong’s turtleneck from his pants to explore the skin underneath in his mind. Their relationship was about to turn professional.

“Right, so, first of all, amazing performance. We decided to try and reel you in even before, but I’m now very convinced personally that we should try that.” Seonghwa peered at Hongjoong over the top of his glasses. The man had dropped his head to rest against the back of the sofa and watched him from lidded eyes. He was attentive, but his looks also greatly distracted Seonghwa. Squirming under the man’s penetrating gaze, he searched for the right document.

God, that man wanted to see him suffer.

“S-So, my company sent me to offer you a meeting with our board. I typed out some of the benefits you would get from us, but if you chose to sign with us, the details would be discussed in person.” Seonghwa’s fingers shook slightly as he handed the sheet over. Ringed fingers received the paper.

Hongjoong skimmed the paper without uttering a word. His expression was so neutral that Seonghwa bit his lip and sent a prayer to the gods that he was interested. From the lack of reaction, Seonghwa could judge that he wasn’t the first one to approach Hongjoong with this. A newbie would have been overjoyed with the opportunity.

“It doesn’t sound bad. I will have to think about it. Can I have this copy?”

Seonghwa motioned at him to keep it. Then, he reached for his drink with careful hands. He tried not to mess up again now that he already somehow had Hongjoong interested.

“Tell me about your company then. You’re planning to cast me as a rapper, but do I also have production opportunities there?” Hongjoong’s low voice didn’t match his words.

Seonghwa got a whole sip down without another malheur. Proud, he lowered the glass to his lap again.

“Yes. That is one of the details in the contract my boss is willing to discuss with you. The firm may provide you with a private studio and offer access to high-quality equipment.” Satisfied, Seonghwa noted the man’s apparent approval of that. His nod was agreeable and urged Seonghwa to keep talking.

“Right now, we have a debuted group and four trainees ready to debut working for us. In case you are interested in them, you could check them out. Chances are that you will be offered a contract together with them at first, depending on the match of skills.”

Seonghwa couldn’t say if Hongjoong fit to the others. While all of them had similar passions for music, he didn’t know if Hongjoong’s lone wolf character would be compatible with them. Not that they wouldn’t like him. Mingi had mentioned something before about wanting a match for him to challenge his own rapping.

Hongjoong nodded along to Seonghwa’s every word. He noticed the moment when Seonghwa’s gestures grew too grand, and he tipped his glass over first. Seonghwa noticed only when a few drops of liquid soaked his pants.

The singer didn’t comment on it, but a little smile curled around his lips. Blushing, Seonghwa tapped it away with a tissue. At least Hongjoong didn’t mock him about it.

“And the employees there, are they all like you?”

Seonghwa dropped his glasses when he bent forward too swiftly to put the tissue away. Momentarily blind, he felt around for them helplessly.

Gentle fingers caught his hand and pressed the glasses inside. Seonghwa jolted at Hongjoong’s warm skin that lingered against his when he refused to pull away. Fumbling, Seonghwa put his glasses back on his face.

God, he needed new ones. He made an absolute fool of himself.

Seonghwa cleared his throat and adjusted his tie in an attempt to save some dignity. All nervousness and embarrassment were out of the window already; he was nothing more but a ball of self-loathing and failure.

“No, most of them are actually competent. I don’t know why they sent their biggest idiot of all people here. Sorry about that, it wasn’t my idea. I hope the contracts sounds attractive enough to make up for my mishaps, please remember that paper and not me for our firm.”

Damn you, Yunho. He probably knew it would turn out like this.

Hongjoong smiled at Seonghwa, and in the normal light from the ceiling, he looked less demonic. By now, he looked nearly friendly despite his tough appearance. Well, and the knowing smirk that curled around his lips.

“I meant to ask if they all are as adorable as you.”

At once, Seonghwa blushed up to the tips of his hair. His eyes were wide enough that he must look absolutely stupid behind his just as round glasses, but Hongjoong didn’t seem to mind.

Or else he wouldn’t have called Seonghwa adorable.

Seonghwa was slightly overwhelmed with the pickup in his heart rate and the way Hongjoong was still smirking at him. Never before, he had been this thankful for a pile of paperwork in between him and another person. The tension between them thickened now that their clearly wandering gazes had actually brought up the topic.

“O-Oh- That depends! If you are asking because you are interested in possible coworkers, then that might be a bad idea! And uh- if you are more interested in women, then…” Seonghwa faltered when his flittering eyes returned to Hongjoong’s. The man hadn’t let Seonghwa out of his sight even once and maintained his slight smile even during Seonghwa’s rambling.

“I’m sorry, I’m terrible at flirting or at compliments.”

The left corner of Hongjoong’s mouth twitched.

“You’re fine. Maybe I enjoy it a little too much how flustered you were.” Hongjoong’s eyes trailed down Seonghwa’s arms that he had stretched out. His hands grabbed onto his knees for dear life, and his legs were neatly together while Hongjoong had basically sprawled out through all of his corner.

“I’m even worse if it’s attractive people complimenting me. I swear I don’t react like this if it’s my mom.” Seonghwa rambled again, but he just didn’t know what to say. He had to keep himself from staring at Hongjoong’s soft looking lips, too.

In an attempt to play it off smoothly, he glanced at his wristwatch.

“Oh! It’s getting late, though! Maybe I should hurry home!” Disregarding any corners of papers he bent, Seonghwa hurried to stuff his papers back inside their folder. Hongjoong had barely glanced at them, but Seonghwa counted it as a win that he wanted to keep a copy.

At his hurried departure, Hongjoong just calmly sat up a bit straighter. His apparent peace with the situation made Seonghwa only even more anxious and worried that he might have reacted the wrong way since he had no idea how to flirt. Bitter disappointment and insecurity overcame him.

Was he even supposed to flirt with his client to reel him in? Probably not. Yunho never said anything about that.

Thankfully, Hongjoong saved his thoughts from spiralling when he smoothly continued the conversation. Seonghwa detected no change in his come-hither voice, so he tried to unclench his jaw. Instead, he checked his bag for its contents.

“Hey, visit another one of my shows. Once you come by, I will give you my answer to this.” Hongjoong held up the paper in his hand. After he fixed his glasses once more, Seonghwa nodded at him. Some hair hung into his face, so he blew it away impatiently.

“And wear something nice. You look great in a suit, but I would like you to be comfortable. I don’t play with people that I’m not sure if they are fully into it.”

Seonghwa faltered in his movements. His heart beat wild enough that he felt as if it would give out on him any minute from now. He didn’t stop completely until he was in front of the door, but he didn’t reach his hand out for it yet.

Oddly enough, in this moment of sheer panic about being alone in one room with a man like Hongjoong, courage returned to him.

Bravely, he turned to look at Hongjoong once more. His eyes slid down the man’s sprawled open and undeniably beddable body. After a shy swallow, he forced out the words he knew were a huge step, but if he didn’t say them now, the chance would pass.

“So if I appear as a regular person and not as a clumsy office worker, you will kiss me?”

Hongjoong’s head lolled back as he smirked lazily. His grin had something triumphant and undeniably alluring to it. It had Seonghwa’s stomach hot with desire even when his heart nearly died from shyness.

“Baby, I will kiss you right on the spot if that is what you want.”

Challenging, Seonghwa rose a brow. For a second, it seemed as if the whole world lined up for him. When Hongjoong got onto his feet that were clad in chunky biker boots and strode over, not an ounce of insecurity hit Seonghwa. He had asked for this.

Hongjoong pressed right up against him with no signs of stopping. As they stumbled against the door together, Hongjoong’s body was hot like a little oven against Seonghwa. Out of reflex, Seonghwa reached out to stabilise Hongjoong with his free arm that wasn’t holding his bag. Only when the rock singer suddenly reached out to pull the glasses from Seonghwa’s face, he stilled. Another hand grabbed his tie and pulled him down to Hongjoong’s level.

“Wait- I can’t see.”

“You don’t have to see.”

With that, Hongjoong’s lips were on his.

The first touch startled Seonghwa even if it had been no surprise. Hongjoong’s lips were warm and soft, still careful in their press. The taste of strawberries that still lingered on Seonghwa’s tongue spread between their lips when Seonghwa fell into the sweet temptation that Hongjoong had been putting on him all night long. The leather of Hongjoong’s jacket under Seonghwa’s fingers and his lithe, compact body that aligned with Seonghwa perfectly left him breathless.

The slide of their lips against each other was soft. Just shy touches that explored the realms of possibilities but never intruded too much. Kissing Hongjoong was like the barest hint of spice on Seonghwa’s lips, but at the same time his gentle and careful movements nearly had Seonghwa up with how nice they were. He was touch-starved and finding that Hongjoong was so patient with him and actively sought his consent had Seonghwa inwardly cry out with how much he already did.

Hongjoong pulled back before the kiss could deteriorate in something crazy. For a second, they regarded each other with no more but a few centimetres between their heads. If possible, Hongjoong’s clouded eyes had darkened even more. Judging by his stricken expression, he considered pulling Seonghwa back onto the couch with him. Ultimately, his fingers let go of Seonghwa’s collar, though. With his pulse loudly rushing in his ears, Seonghwa got his glasses back.

“I think you get me now. See you next time, button-up. Consider wearing the nail polish; it saves lives.”

With a charming grin, Hongjoong held the door open for Seonghwa.

Like a flash, the man disappeared into the night. He would lie awake until far later still and relive the kiss with a stupid grin on his lips. The contract he had come for was forgotten rather quickly.

-

“I can’t believe he’s spacing out again. Is he going to switch this up every two weeks?”

The words that were so painfully obviously directed at him didn’t register in Seonghwa’s brain. He was busy remembering the soft feel of Hongjoong’s lips on his, and how good his waist had felt underneath his fingers. The pretty man had put a hex on him from the first time Seonghwa had watched his video, but their kiss had felt like the final sacrifice that was needed to seal the bond.

Seonghwa couldn’t wait to see him again. His whole body called for the kiss of the singer. The next show Seonghwa had booked was his another one in Seoul, right on Friday. And this week, it felt way too long. Seonghwa glanced at his computer clock every five minutes, but time just wouldn’t pass faster.

“That keeps it entertaining, doesn’t it?” Yunho’s chuckle made Seonghwa subconsciously smile without even knowing what was going on. Defeated, his boss just sighed at his behaviour.

“Let’s see how this goes. If he gets us Kim, I will forgive him since he is such a huge win. But if his spacing out isn’t even productive…” With this ominous mumble, their department chef returned to his own desk. Seonghwa was left in his dream world for as long as he pleased.

On Wednesday, during his lunch break, Seonghwa approached Wooyoung. As usual, the man was busy hunting their four poor trainees through the practice room, but he mercifully allowed them a break when Seonghwa shyly peeked in. His hair was slightly messy from ruffling it too often. Seonghwa had had his doubts about divulging the other man in his plans.

As expected, Wooyoung’s high-pitched dolphin laugh was the first thing that Seonghwa got to hear. Shameful, he kept his head low even when Jongho and Yeosang threw him curious glances from the floor. They were still heaving.

“Oh, this is wonderful. You have to tell me everything. Let me be your perfect movie best friend that gives you the makeover of your dreams! Bet it will all figure itself out once you put down the glasses!”

With a frown, Seonghwa adjusted the object in question on his nose.

“What is that supposed to mean? Are you saying my glasses are ugly?” His voice was small with hurt and upset about the blatant disrespect. Wooyoung hurried to make it up to him.

“No, no, of course not! They are lovely! I was just referencing the popular movie trope, haha, you know?”

Seonghwa suspiciously side-eyed him. San did the same from his bench behind them.

“Anyways!” Cheerfully, Wooyoung slung an arm around Seonghwa’s shoulder. He had to tiptoe to reach, and Seonghwa didn’t provide any sort of help, but his coworker didn’t mind. “Let’s go home together on Friday after work, and we will figure something out! I bet you will blow him away!”

Groaning, San buried his face in his hands. Wooyoung grinned at him smugly, but Seonghwa didn’t get behind that joke. Instead, he just agreed to Wooyoung’s words. The worst that could happen would be more mortification on his side, and he would take that if it meant that he could actually face Hongjoong. Preferably in a styling choice that didn’t scream business at the other man.

Thursday was the longest day of Seonghwa’s entire life, but Friday rolled around quickly. Seonghwa had been so caught up in his thoughts and lines he practised in his head to make his speech sound just a bit cooler that he nearly missed the bell. As soon as the sound registered with his head, though, he darted out of his chair and from the door. He was fast enough to stumble over his unlaced shoes, and Yunho chuckled exasperatedly at him when he cursed at his throbbing elbow.

Wooyoung awaited him in the lobby, and he dragged Seonghwa with him with no questions asked. He lived near the firm, so they chose to walk, and while they did, Wooyoung handed Seonghwa a large bag full of clothes.

“Here, I asked someone from Styling for them. I really hope they fit, but I guess they will. If they are tight, all the better.”

Seonghwa carried the bag for him, but he eyed it warily anyway.

“I’m half curious half-scared what you are going to do to me,” he muttered under his breath when they rounded the corner to Wooyoung’s apartment. While they walked up the stairs to the fourth floor, Wooyoung ordered them some food to arrive by the time they were done checking out the clothes. He promised at least seven times that it wouldn’t mess up Seonghwa’s stomach.

Wooyoung let Seonghwa in and closed the door behind him while he kicked his shoes off. He was in the middle of putting his bags down when from an adjoining room, a delighted bark sounded. Then, four feet scurried over to them.

A little shiba inu, basically still a puppy skittered over the polished floor and right in front of Wooyoung’s feet. Curious about Seonghwa, he came by to sniff at him too, then he ran back to wag his tail at the dancer. With a laugh, Wooyoung crouched down to pat him.

Curious, Seonghwa put his bags on Wooyoung’s couch.

“You never told me you had a dog.”

Wooyoung squished said dog’s face and made funny faces at him. Both of them seemed overjoyed to see each other after a long day of work. Little noises of adoration passed between them like their very own language.

“He isn’t mine. He belongs to San.”

Awkward, Seonghwa put his hands in his pockets since he didn’t know what else to do with them. Once Wooyoung finished coddling the dog, Seonghwa could at least shyly pet him, too. A few minutes later, some unimportant lo-fi filled the air coming from Wooyoung’s phone speakers. Haphazardly, he threw the device on his bed while the dog lolled into Seonghwa’s touch.

“Why do you have San’s dog?”

“San wanted a dog, but the dorm doesn’t allow him to. So he brought him here, and I bring him to practice sometimes, or San visits.”

Seonghwa hadn’t known that those two were that close personally. He figured it made sense. Their personalities matched each other like yin and yang. They stuck to each other whenever Seonghwa came by the practice room.

“Come on. Let’s see if the clothes fit you, and then we can eat. Anything else comes after that.”

The prospect of seeing Hongjoong again in just a few more hours had Seonghwa’s stomach in knots all day. The mixture of excitement and anxiety took most of his appetite, but he followed Wooyoung into his bedroom anyways.

“Did you bring your contact lenses?”

Nodding, Seonghwa put them on the bed before he shrugged off his jacket. The dog stood next to Wooyoung as he watched Seonghwa with great interest. His owner was busy grumbling under his breath as he strewed the several pieces of clothing over the sheets. All that Seonghwa could see was black leather. He swallowed harshly.

“How comfortable are you with wearing cropped things? Ever tried them?”

Seonghwa stared at Wooyoung as if he had suggested for him to take part in a horse race as a horse. The other man only had to glance at him to break out in giggles. His dog ran around his legs happily at the sound.

“Thought so. I’d presume that’s not on your list of clothing you feel comfortable in, hm?”

In a frenzy, Seonghwa shook his head. He even rose both of his pleadingly to motion Wooyoung to step down from the gas pedal. If they were going to plan for this together, then Seonghwa needed to entrust himself without worries. At least, Wooyoung had been kind enough to ask before he decided on anything.

“I would like to avoid them. Surely there must be something more decent for me to wear and look good, right?”

With a chuckle, Wooyoung pulled a jacket from the mountain of clothes and put it aside. The pants, he handed right over. Curious, Seonghwa’s fingers slid over the black leather. Then, his eyes wandered back to the jacket, which was made from the same material and style. He wasn’t so sure about his looks paired with leather. He usually went for jeans and a cardigan when he went around comfortably. This probably wasn’t what Hongjoong had meant.

“You have a piercing, right? Is that still for use?”

Like a little kid, Wooyoung rounded Seonghwa and pulled on his ears. Wordlessly, Seonghwa just let him and prayed that it would be over soon. The ‘tsk’ that Wooyoung made could be straight from a movie about French fashion designers. It ticked Seonghwa’s anxiety off even more, but he took it with patience.

“I’ll get you one of my earrings; you’ll look great with it. Put on the pants and the shoes. We can still discuss what you will wear under that jacket.”

Unsure, but at least able to follow instructions, Seonghwa slipped out of his pants. He neatly folded them before he picked up the leather ones. However, before he could even slip inside the first leg, Wooyoung glanced up at him from where he searched through some pouch that clinked as if it carried metal.

“Wait. That won’t work.”

Seonghwa looked at him startled. Had he done something wrong? When he had first asked Wooyoung for his help around these matters, he hadn’t expected it to turn out this difficult. Both men stared at each other as if Wooyoung expected Seonghwa to know what the issue was. Seonghwa very much didn’t know.

“What is it?”

“Your underwear. Wait, she probably packed a thong to match.” Mumbling, Wooyoung went back to the bag to search it once more. With big eyes, Seonghwa watched him. He saw absolutely no issue with his grey boxer briefs. While Wooyoung busied himself with his task, Seonghwa threw the dog a begging gaze. As expected, he didn’t help him.

“Ah! Here we go! Here, change into this.” Wooyoung threw Seonghwa a package that slapped against his chest and fell to the ground when he didn’t react fast enough. Hurriedly, he picked it up before the dog could grab it. Then, he threw a disbelieving glance at Wooyoung, who was already on his way back to his jewellery.

“Do I have to? Can’t I just wear my underwear?”

“No, everybody will see the lining!” Wooyoung’s voice was exasperated. He seemed to lose his patience with the difficulty of the matter, just like Seonghwa did, but in the opposite way.

“Does that matter? Wooyoung, I’m going there to hire the man. I’m not planning to seduce the club or get an award for the best-hidden underwear.”

Wooyoung whipped around to stare Seonghwa down. Self-conscious about his mostly undressed state, Seonghwa pushed his glasses up on his nose. Even when Wooyoung put both of his hands on his hands disapprovingly, neither yielded.

_“Hire!”_

“You are meeting in a club, do you know just how many people don’t wear any underwear there? Also, do you need your underwear to hire him? I don’t see how it would come in handy.”

“I’m not wearing this.”

“You either wear this, or you go commando. Personally, I don’t like the chafing, but that is your issue to figure out.”

With that, Wooyoung snappishly turned back to his dresser. His dog sat down next to him to look up at him expectantly.

Seonghwa needed another second of wary glares at the offending piece of clothing in his grasp. The black g-string was far off any underwear Seonghwa would ever consider wearing, and it seemed to grin maliciously at him despite its innocent looks.

In the end, Seonghwa yielded. He didn’t have all day, and if this was the price to pay for an outfit that could be considered appropriate to wear for Hongjoong tonight, then he would do it. His mind also tried to argue that he would be the only one to know anyway, but once his head remembered the passionate kiss they had shared, he rethought that. Depending on how the evening went, Hongjoong might as well discover this dirty secret.

Huffing, Seonghwa changed into the string first and then put on the tight leather pants. They clung to him like a second skin and framed every nook and cranny of his legs. Worried if they looked good, he pulled at the fabric here and there to adjust it.

Wooyoung turned to him as soon as he could make sure Seonghwa was decent. With a satisfied nod immediately followed by a lewd whistle, he came back over. Seonghwa accepted the earring he was handed.

“Good, you look good. I’ll lend you one of my plain black shirts to wear. Here, put this on while I search for it.”

Seonghwa began the struggle with the earring that seemed all too fond of slipping from his grasp. By the time he had finally fiddled it in, and it dangled from his ear, Wooyoung returned with a neatly folded shirt.

“Here, I washed it.”

No more words were uttered when Seonghwa slipped out of his button-up and changed into the black shirt. He had one arm in and was ready to slip the soft fabric over his head when suddenly, he felt Wooyoung’s hands on his hips. Their touch wasn’t inappropriate, but Seonghwa still gasped at him offended when the man adjusted the thin strings around his hips. They peeked over the waistband of his pants now and framed his hips.

“Wooyoung-”

“It’s fine! You’ll tuck in your shirt anyway, right? It just sits more comfortably like this.”

That, Seonghwa couldn’t argue with. Wordlessly, he slipped in his shirt and tucked it into his pants neatly.

Especially the unfamiliar feeling of the pants and the string left odd sensations on his skin, but so far, Seonghwa was fine. These things, he could work with.

Lastly, the jacket. Seonghwa was positive that he would be able to wear a jacket without any more problems. While he tried it on, Wooyoung just nodded satisfied. Seonghwa had overcome the worst of his makeover. He would take care of his hair and makeup later after they ate. For now, he placed the jacket back on the bed and began the straining process of putting in his contact lenses.

Once their food arrived, Wooyoung got it at the door. They ate on Wooyoung’s bed while Wooyoung dumped too much information to remember at once on Seonghwa on how he should act around Hongjoong and what the correct procedure was in seeming at least a bit cooler. At the same time, he kept reminding Seonghwa to be himself. The only thing that Seonghwa got out of their talk was befuddlement. Since he was confident in his undeniable skill to mess up anyway, however, he didn’t remember Wooyoung’s mess of advice too much.

The excitement for tonight settled with Seonghwa while they ate. He couldn’t finish his bowl, and Wooyoung sadly poked at some side dishes that Seonghwa had to deny. In the end, they landed in Wooyoung’s fridge.

Wooyoung sat on his bed and wagged his feet restlessly on the ground while his dog laid in his lap during the time Seonghwa finished. Upon Wooyoung’s suggestion, he wore his head without part today and just let the soft ashy blond strands fall over his forehead. They were less wavy than usual, but Seonghwa had made sure that his slight curls looked natural. The look suited him, in his opinion. Wooyoung agreed with several heartfelt compliments. Now the only question that remained was if Hongjoong would like it, too.

“Don’t worry; he will love it!” Wooyoung supplied as if he had read Seonghwa’s mind. For his kind words, he earned an already exhausted smile from Seonghwa.

He hadn’t told Wooyoung about the passionate kiss he had shared with Hongjoong, and neither did he mention the something that would probably be going on between Hongjoong and him during this night. The thrill of anticipation had him on his toes, and his legs bounced the whole evening. Seeing Hongjoong, tasting his delectable lips, and maybe roaming his hands over that firm chest were all dreams that had Seonghwa drooling into his pillows at night.

But Wooyoung didn’t need to know that. Seonghwa was already mortified at how easily he had accepted Hongjoong’s advances despite them maybe becoming future coworkers. At the same time, that might be the reason why he did, too. He wouldn’t be allowed to have a relationship with an idol under their company later on.

Before Seonghwa left for the club, he threw one last glance at himself in the mirror. The black leather looked dark and smooth against his skin, and he had zipped up his jacket, too, to enhance its look. On top of the jacket and pants, he also wore some fingerless gloves that Wooyoung had found lying around. The skin he broadcasted was minimal, but Seonghwa hoped he could pull off the vibe of looking attractive regardless. In his opinion, he barely resembled himself, but oddly enough, he was comfortable, just as Wooyoung had predicted.

“I’m off.” With a grateful smile, Seonghwa turned to look at Wooyoung. The man shot him finger guns and a dirty wink before he closed the door behind Seonghwa.

On his way to the subway, Seonghwa felt as if all the people in the world were staring at him. They seemed to rake their eyes up and down his form extra slowly, and while he knew that he could take it as a compliment from quite a few of them, he couldn’t help but feel shy about it. At least he wasn’t the only one who wore questionable clothing at this time of the day. The subways were bustling with people ready to party.

Today’s concert was in Gangnam, an hour distance from where his working place and home was. Seonghwa already knew that he would be dead tired once he came home that night. For now, he concentrated on getting inside of this club, though. He found the building after a few misdirections in the narrow streets of Seoul. This building was more classy than the other one, but at the same time, it felt less homey and comfortable.

The bouncer was kind, though, and he let Seonghwa in without further issues after he had shown him his ticket.

As if magnetically attracted, Seonghwa went right back to the bar. Apart from his encounter with Vi last time he had had a very good time there, and it gave him a good opportunity to overlook things. With a drink that tasted of lemons in his hand, Seonghwa nodded his head to the music a bit. Hongjoong wasn’t here yet, and Seonghwa would watch his show first before he approached him, just like last time. He had also brought all necessary documents on his phone today since Yunho had reminded him that this method was far easier than bringing a bunch of papers every time.

Hongjoong didn’t leave his crowd to wait for long. He ran in from the left of the stage once it was his moment and stood in a very Michael Jackson-esque way in the middle of the platform for a moment. Seonghwa chuckled at his fervour and admiration for the other artist when he started a cover of Black or White. With the same energy Seonghwa knew from him, he jumped across the stage and hyped up the crowd. Today, he wore a leather jacket and silver accessories to match. His plain black shirt fitted Seonghwa’s, too, but Hongjoong had opted for regular blue jeans instead of leather pants. His boots gave all his biker points back.

Seonghwa wondered if Hongjoong rode a motorcycle. He knew that the man smoked, and it certainly would suit his style to own a bike, but Seonghwa had no proof of that. Intrigued by the thought, he took a sip from his drink and let his thoughts roam.

When Numb started to play, Hongjoong had Seonghwa’s whole concentration back. It was an hour into the show, and for the first time, Hongjoong actually spotted Seonghwa at the bar. His eyes had brushed over him fleetingly before, but he most likely hadn’t recognised him from the distance. However, his sultry gaze was transfixed right on Seonghwa as he breathed his lyrics into the mic lowly. The crowd went wild around him, but Hongjoong only had eyes for Seonghwa.

At his attention, Seonghwa made use of the dim twilight the room bathed them in. He crossed his long legs and positioned his elbow on the counter next to him. Without attracting too much attention on himself, he slightly rose his glass as a cheer in Hongjoong’s direction.

The man grinned into his microphone as he averted his eyes. It was one of his devilish smiles that had Seonghwa’s breathless with how it made his heart stutter in his chest.

Hongjoong added one more bold statement when during the first chorus and while he sprung around on stage wildly, he thrust his hips particularly in Seonghwa’s direction. In the screams of the crowd, Seonghwa could drown his hot blush well. His body reacted demanding, asking him to pull Hongjoong close and mark up every single spot on his skin. Seonghwa nearly had to laugh at his own self. As if he were confident enough to approach Hongjoong self-assured like that.

The concert ended with the last speech of thanks from Hongjoong. Then, he disappeared backstage and left it to other people to take care of the mood. Seonghwa remained as solid as a rock in his place. Once he was ready, Hongjoong would probably reach out to him first. That guess proved to be right a few minutes later. One of the women working in the club approached Seonghwa discreetly and asked him to follow her. He accepted the question politely and emptied his drink. Once she led him away, he found himself backstage in a brightly lit room. Hongjoong was there together with some man who probably worked with him. They finished their conversation when Seonghwa stepped in, and Hongjoong turned to him with a grin to look him up and down.

His face portrayed his every thought. Obviously, he liked Seonghwa’s appearance, and his lips curled into a smile when he noticed the lack of glasses on Seonghwa’s face.

“You look delectable, button-up,” he greeted Seonghwa ultimately. His smirk was teasing, and it had shudders spread over Seonghwa’s spine.

Immediately, all of Seonghwa’s fake confidence flew out of the window when he peered around. Apparently, nobody else had heard that comment, but it was incriminating enough for Seonghwa’s ears.

“Thanks…” He merely mumbled back. Against his good will, his hand came up to scratch at his neck shyly. Hongjoong chuckled at the gesture that discovered Seonghwa’s true colours.

“Did you eat yet? I’m craving some ramen.”

Surprised, Seonghwa scrutinised Hongjoong. The man positively glowed with the sweat that made his cheeks and collarbone shine. His lips were tinted red with makeup, and his eye shadow wasn’t as dark as last time, but his gaze was just as heavy on Seonghwa’s skin.

He didn’t expect to eat with Hongjoong. Or leave this place, for that matter.

“Ramen sounds great.”

Seonghwa would battle his own stomach if it meant spending more time with Hongjoong. He could ignore the disruptive clenches until then.

Hongjoong grinned at him brightly and showed off his perfectly straight teeth. Then, he shouldered a bag and nodded at Seonghwa to go first.

They left through a back door and stepped out onto the chilly streets side by side. Curious, Seonghwa looked at Hongjoong.

“I’m staying the night in a hotel nearby since I didn’t want to take the ride after the show. We can just drop by a convenience store of your pick and eat there.”

Seonghwa chuckled at the option that was left to him.

“Not as if they sell vastly different things.”

Hongjoong’s smile reminded him of that of a pirate. Sly and goal-oriented. Seonghwa couldn’t deny what it did to his poor heart.

“I thought I’d let you pick since I already chose the bed I want you on.”

Seonghwa choked on his spit, and Hongjoong just laughed at him. By the time he had regained his composure, Hongjoong already linked their arms and led him down the street.

“I’m kidding. Don’t feel as if I’m pressuring you into anything. We can also talk about the contract, eat, and send you home safely. I see it as a win that you dressed up for me, but I won’t mistake it for consent.”

Maybe Seonghwa’s heart jumped a little at his heroic stance. Maybe he was just crushing on Hongjoong too much.

“Ah yes, I-” Seonghwa tripped over his own feet. Reflexively, Hongjoong caught him. After a pitiful sigh from Seonghwa, Hongjoong merely cooed at him and patted his arm with all the gentleness in the world.

“I appreciate that. My mind has been a mess about this all, but I wouldn’t be here if I disliked the thought of you. Or, well, I would have come with a colleague and a worse suit than last time.”

Hongjoong expressed his relief at that comment. Then, he swerved right to pull Seonghwa for a round of shopping. Several snacks and drinks richer, they finally made their way to the hotel that Hongjoong had promised him. It wasn’t super expensive, but it wasn’t low-end either. The room was spacious, and the bed looked comfortable.

Seonghwa inwardly hit himself for staring at it for a second too long. He didn’t want to seem super worried and tense about the situation. Thus, he busied his hands with dumping the contents of their bag on the table. Hongjoong didn’t like too spicy ramen, just like Seonghwa, so they both had opted for a less intense one with shrimp taste. While Hongjoong set the boiler behind him, Seonghwa mixed all the ingredients into the respective bowls and unstuck their chopsticks.

“So, about the contract. I reviewed it, and it sounds like your firm is making a fair offer.” Hongjoong poured the water while Seonghwa clutched the eggs and waited patiently. The news of Hongjoong’s praise had him beam.

“Yeah? I’m glad you say that. Do you have any questions regarding the contract? I can set up a date for you to meet with our chairman.” Seonghwa reacted just a tad bit overzealous, but he didn’t mind it much. He was too overjoyed with the news of his success to remember his manners.

“I think most of them relate only to the chairman himself. So yes, please make an appointment with him and notify me of the day and time. I will gladly pay a visit.” He beamed at Seonghwa brightly, and the poor office worker was gone for him. Immediately, he whipped out his phone to text his boss. In his excitement, he made a few spelling mistakes that had Hongjoong chuckle at him. He also sent a dancing emoji.

Hongjoong glanced over his shoulder at the character with a smile. Then, he unexpectedly turned his head and smacked a kiss right on Seonghwa’s cheek. Yelping, Seonghwa retreated and pressed a hand against his bright red face. His skin felt warm where Hongjoong had touched it.

Hongjoong laughed at his shocked expression before he shuffled over to eat his ramen. Merrily, he scooped the noodles into his mouth.

After he commented his first bite with a satisfied groan that seemed to go right into Seonghwa’s dick, he nodded his chin at Seonghwa. His lips were slightly swollen from the heat of the food. Seonghwa’s mind was elsewhere as he stabbed at his noodles.

“So, tell me. What’s your favourite song of mine?”

Seonghwa slurped down his bite and dabbed over his mouth with a tissue. The look that Hongjoong gave him conveyed enough heat that it seemed as if Hongjoong wanted to eat him. The room seemed too hot for his closed jacket by now, and Hongjoong barely focused on his food rather than Seonghwa. Their meal had become entirely negligible to both of them.

“Oh, uh- I like the Numb cover. Really, it was the thing that first got me into knowing you, and I appreciate it a lot.”

“So you are into dark and sexy me, hm?”

Seonghwa spluttered, nearly sending his ramen broth everywhere.

“No! I mean yes-” Panicking, Seonghwa put his bowl down and pushed his hair back. He needed a moment to sort his thoughts.

“Basically, to me, you are always very dark and sexy, that’s just your charm. Or at least the one you showed so far.” That was it. Good safe.

Seonghwa faltered in his newfound confidence when he met Hongjoong’s eyes. Eyes darker than any ocean and absolutely wild with desire. He still wore his stage outfit; his hair was still slightly wet in the front from his sweat. His make up was smeared around his eyes, and he looked like every wet dream Seonghwa ever had. He winced.

“Tell me, Seonghwa. What is it about dark and sexy me you like? The thought of being in my lap, or having me in your lap?” His devilish grin was coated with a sugary sweet smile. Any pact with the devil would have felt less dangerous to Seonghwa. Unconsciously, he leaned back against the bed when Hongjoong inclined his body in his direction. His nervous eyes flicked through the room, anywhere but to Hongjoong.

“Ah, I…” Helpless, Seonghwa just blushed and looked down into his lap. His jacket felt like an oven to him that was grilling him alive.

“Use your words, sweetling.”

Seonghwa had to put down the ramen next to him since his hands trembled so bad. The tension in the air suffocated him, and he hoped that Hongjoong couldn’t see the first interested twitches of his arousal in his tight leather pants. Once more, Seonghwa cursed Wooyoung’s ancestors for the way the thong felt against his skin.

“You- You on my lap.”

Faster than Seonghwa could react, Hongjoong darted over. Their ramen was forgotten when Hongjoong clambered into his lap and impatiently knocked Seonghwa’s hands off that hovered between them awkwardly. Wincing, Seonghwa let them settle on the man’s glorious thighs. His fingers squeezed the hard flesh appreciatively.

His mind didn’t quite catch up with the fact that he had the gorgeous singer in his lap, right at his expense. Instead, he stared stupidly captivated up at the other man. Like a satisfied king, he throned on Seonghwa.

“Would you rather have me take your clothes off or do it yourself?”

“Hongjoong, please-” Seonghwa couldn’t take the embarrassment anymore. He attempted to duck his head into Hongjoong’s neck to hide his shame away, but Hongjoong was quick to deny him. Smoothly, he grabbed onto the collar of Seonghwa’s jacket in his nape and pulled him back. While his eyes burned holes into Seonghwa’s face, Seonghwa avoided him further. Like a kitten that had knocked a flower pot from the windowsill, he pitifully hung there and dried to deny his attraction to Hongjoong.

“Ah-ah, we aren’t doing this. Your words.”

Seonghwa had no words. His head was completely void of them; they had left somewhere during their walk to the hotel. Without them, he was just extremely aware of how Hongjoong’s thighs framed his hips and how their crotches pressed against each other. Hongjoong wasn’t too heavy for him, but the thought of weight on Seonghwa took up a large part of Seonghwa’s brain.

Seonghwa whimpered.

“You… You do it.”

For a while, Hongjoong had mercy on him. He immediately latched onto Seonghwa’s neck and covered it with kisses and the occasional nip. At the same time, his fingers fiddled with the buckles on Seonghwa’s shoulder impatiently as he tried to get him out of his jacket. Seonghwa let him, only whining weakly at every harsh suck while he desperately thrust his hips up against Hongjoong’s.

Hongjoong’s body was so tiny on his. He had to hold him down against him in order to move their bodies together properly. His wild bucking was uncoordinated and not as pleasant as it could be, but Hongjoong didn’t mind his desperate grinding. Instead, he replied to the movements with the same fervour.

When he finally managed to get Seonghwa’s jacket off, he threw it rather than he laid it aside. It landed in a heap somewhere, but Seonghwa didn’t care about it too much. His skin could finally breathe, and he exhaled in relief even when his hardness uncomfortably strained against his pants.

To distract himself from Hongjoong feeling up his chest and now moving to his collarbones with his marks, Seonghwa helped the other man out of his jacket as well. He was just about to slip his shirt off when Hongjoong spoke again. Intimidated, Seonghwa’s hands stilled underneath his shirt on the man’s hips.

Like honey, Hongjoong’s sultry voice poured from his vexing lips.

“Would you rather finger me open or watch me do it myself?”

Something in Seonghwa snapped. He held Hongjoong down against him boldly to feel both of their hard lengths press against each other as he surged forward to kiss the teasing mouth of the other. His reply came in the way that he impatiently yanked at Hongjoong’s pants.

Both of them panted into the kiss when Hongjoong twisted around to peel his pants off, so it could barely even be called a kiss. However, they made it work, and seconds later, Hongjoong handed Seonghwa a little bottle of lube he had apparently carried around.

Seonghwa couldn’t believe his boldness.

With movements quicker and far more confident than Seonghwa would have expected from himself, he lathered his fingers in the slippery gel. Hongjoong leaned against his shoulder when Seonghwa impatiently grabbed one of his cheeks to get access. A shuddering breath met his air when the pads of Seonghwa’s fingers pressed against the soft rim.

His first finger sunk into the other male without much resistance. Judging by his body's response that immediately pressed back against the digit and Hongjoong’s sweet moan, he was more than used to the sensation. A little jealous gremlin in Seonghwa’s mind expressed his distaste at the idea that anybody else could have touched Hongjoong before. He played it off. Instead, he slowly reached deeper, spreading the man open gradually.

“Good, you’re doing good.” Hongjoong’s fingers raked through Seonghwa’s hair and messed up the hour of work he had put into it. Neither minded.

“Put these adorable lips to use, will you? They look just right to be sucking cock.” Hongjoong’s hand caressed Seonghwa’s face. He knelt above him with absolute power despite the grip that Seonghwa had on him. His lidded eyes never left Seonghwa’s when he immediately leaned forward to take Hongjoong’s angry reddened tip into his mouth. Eager to please, he overlooked anything foreign in this new situation and merely did his best to use his lips just as Hongjoong expected him to.

The singer fell apart in Seonghwa’s hands. He left his body to his care entirely trusting and altered between rocking back on the fingers inside of him and careful thrusts down Seonghwa’s throat. His breathy moans were like music to Seonghwa’s ears, and his own body nearly cried at him from the lack of friction.

Nonetheless, he was captured by the piece of art that was Kim Hongjoong. His body was smooth and strung like a string on the most beautiful viola one could imagine. Seonghwa stared up at him and ingrained the way that Hongjoong threw back his hair and showed off his jaw and adam’s apple into his mind. Everything about him was gorgeous.

By the time that Hongjoong pulled away from him, Seonghwa felt sweat on his forehead and neck. Hongjoong exhaled with a shudder when Seonghwa pulled off him with a last harsh suck. He got a tongue down his throat for that that had him forget all his cockiness immediately. Only then, Hongjoong allowed Seonghwa the control over his hands again.

Roughly, he yanked his shirt off while Hongjoong climbed onto the bed and beckoned him to follow. In his eagerness, Seonghwa nearly tripped and fell as he hurried after the man. Hongjoong didn’t comment on it, but his eyes shone with mirth.

Too excited to care, Seonghwa waited for a second and just knelt there while Hongjoong figured out how he wanted him.

Ultimately, Seonghwa got thrown down onto the bed without much care. He bounced off the soft mattress with a surprised yelp. For stability, his hands already went back to Hongjoong’s thighs when the man knelt above him once more. With lust that burned in his veins like fire, Seonghwa stared up at him. At the demon on earth that this man was.

Hongjoong smirked sinisterly before he let his hands travel down Seonghwa’s body. His touch was faint and fleeting like a feather. It was so gentle that it triggered sensitivity in Seonghwa and had goosebumps erupt all over his flesh. Desperately, Seonghwa arched into the touch, but he was pressed back down ruthlessly. Hongjoong only halted in his ticklish ministrations once he reached the thin straps that held Seonghwa’s underwear on his hips. Seonghwa’s wriggles and desperate attempts to relieve the pressure in his pants were ignored. Hongjoong first had to let the black fabric snap against his skin.

“What a surprise. Nothing I would have expected from you, Park Seonghwa, but no unpleasant discovery.”

Finally, Hongjoong yanked his pants down. Peeling them off was a hassle that had Seonghwa redden with how long and awkward it was, but Hongjoong didn’t seem to mind. Much rather, he immediately pulled Seonghwa’s dick from its confinement and stroked his tiny hand up and down its length. Seonghwa nearly fainted at the difference in size.

Not much was needed for Seonghwa to trash impatiently in the sheets. He whined at Hongjoong to please come closer and let him fuck him already. All for Hongjoong, he wanted to be good.

His desperation was awarded a chuckle from the other man. As he moved to put a condom over Seonghwa, though, his every motion still seemed excruciatingly slow. Seonghwa nearly combusted from all the teasing. Probably hours later, Hongjoong finally settled above Seonghwa again.

“Be good.” With the warning apparent in his voice and eyes, Hongjoong stilled just before he directed Seonghwa inside. At once, Seonghwa fell still and kept his mouth tightly shut. His hands comfortingly squeezed Hongjoong’s thighs as if he needed to be cheered up. The man commented the gesture with a grin as he took Seonghwa’s length to direct him in.

Hongjoong was breathtaking. As he was first breached, his lips dropped open in sweet pleasure, and his eyes closed as he concentrated. The further he sunk down, the more his expression slipped from him, and his fingers trembled when he blindly reached them out towards Seonghwa. Distracted by the heaves of his chest and his satisfied expression, Seonghwa reached one hand out to take his.

Both of them took a moment for Hongjoong to adjust once he was fully seated. His breathing stuttered from time to time, and Seonghwa could feel his insides clamp down on him hot and velvety. He desperately wanted to buck his hips up, but he allowed Hongjoong his moment. Instead, he stared at the way how prettily the singer’s cock rested on his stomach, and how his black painted nails dug into Seonghwa’s sides. When he couldn’t contain himself and trailed a finger down the pitifully weeping length, Hongjoong hissed at him.

An adorable sound in the solitude of their hotel room. And fitting to the dangerous beauty of Kim Hongjoong.

From then on, the singer took over again. He rose his well-formed hips to slowly sink back down, careful at first. The suspense had Seonghwa throw his sweaty head back when everything was too drawn out and tardy. Since he had promised to be good, though, he endured the deliberate taunting. Instead, he focused on the blessing that every tight hug of Hongjoong’s hot body was.

Seonghwa’s hands roamed all over the other man’s form. He gripped onto his muscular thighs, his nearly feminine hips, ran his fingers over the man’s slight abs, and squeezed his full chest. Hongjoong liked touches to his waist from how he whined whenever Seonghwa wrapped his hands around it, so Seonghwa naturally took advantage of that. It looked tiny in his grasp.

After a few minutes of Hongjoong slowly growing used to the intrusion in his body, he switched up the gears. At once, he slammed his body down more roughly and threw his head back when Seonghwa penetrated him deeply. Their earlier desperate desire returned to both of them at the same time. Hongjoong allowed Seonghwa with a breathy sound of approval to finally grab onto his hips and help him move.

Every conversation was quickly forgotten when the two of them dwindled into a dance of passion and sheer animalistic drives. Their hips moved against each other with bruising force, and Hongjoong left painful bites all over Seonghwa’s neck. No doubt he would later have handprints on his hips from how Seonghwa held him down so that he could thrust up into Hongjoong roughly. The noises of their ecstasy mingled with the embarrassing sound of skin slapping against skin but neither minded.

Like a king, Hongjoong took all of him to the hilt at every thrust, not minding the size at all. The ability took Seonghwa’s breath away. He nearly drooled into his pillow.

Hongjoong’s body in Seonghwa’s arms was so warm, so willing even as he called the shots. Whenever he shifted even slightly, or his demands changed, Seonghwa picked right up on it and served. As his lips slid over Hongjoong’s chest and tasted the salty sweat on his skin, his hand also worked tirelessly on the man’s dick to stroke him to completion.

Their sex was fast and hard, despite how close they held each other and how much trust they had in each other’s compassion. Seonghwa fucked into Hongjoong until the man was nearly singing in his moans and pressed his hips down in search for anything. He fell apart like the sweetest dream in Seonghwa’s arms.

Seonghwa flicked his wrist over the man’s length once more, and he came violently over both of their chests. His moans rose in pitch as he quickly bounced on Seonghwa to fuck himself through his orgasm. With sweat dripping from his chin, Seonghwa picked up the pace to accustom to it. Hongjoong was incredibly attractive in Seonghwa’s eyes, with his debauched looks and the tremors that shook his form. His dainty hands were tiny on Seonghwa’s chest whenever they spasmed.

When he blearily opened his eyes to invite Seonghwa to finish inside him with a mere glance, Seonghwa had never reacted faster. He wrapped both of his arms tightly around the other man’s hips to hold him in place as he roughly pounded into him from below. He nearly suffocated on the thick air that smelled of ramen and sex. Hongjoong’s broken moans near his ear spurred him on, and after a few more jabs at Hongjoong’s prostate, Seonghwa came to the sound of the singer whimpering into his ear with his seductive voice.

Hongjoong pressed him down to keep his bucking and jerks at bay when Seonghwa’s whole body tensed from the force of his crashing orgasm. It shook him more than usual and had him tremble even when he regained his senses.

He admired Hongjoong’s ability to keep him pushed against the sheets effortlessly. Sated, raked his eyes up and down Hongjoong’s body that shimmered with a sheen of sweat and had cum stains on his stomach. Hongjoong licked his lips from how dry they had gotten during his moans.

Then, he gave Seonghwa a cheeky wink.

“Good boy.”

With a little groan, Hongjoong pulled off Seonghwa and fell next to him on the bed. His breathing was still laboured, but his form was a satisfied pool at Seonghwa’s side. For a moment, they matched each other’s breaths and stared against the ceiling.

After a minute of just breathing with each other and basking in the afterglow, Seonghwa disposed of the condom. When he returned to Hongjoong, the man lifted one arm. He offered cuddles.

Faster than lightning Seonghwa had hopped into bed with him and wrestled the sheets to pull them over their quickly cooling bodies. Hongjoong buried his face in Seonghwa’s chest and sighed contently.

“Give me twenty minutes. Then we can repeat this and take our time.”

Seonghwa withstood the urge to set a timer. Instead, he pressed a little kiss to Hongjoong’s head.

“Alright. Twenty minutes.”

-

Seonghwa had dreaded the awkwardness of the morning after, but all turned out to be well. He awoke extra early to pack up and go home since he needed to type out some more documents for Hongjoong and arrange a meeting. He had expected Hongjoong to wave him off lazily and they never saw each other again, but quite the opposite was the case. As soon as Seonghwa’s alarm sounded, Hongjoong also blinked his eyes open and rolled on top of Seonghwa before the man got to desert the bed.

Their warmth still clung to the blankets, and both of them were hazy from sleep. Hongjoong didn’t mind as he made his way down Seonghwa’s body and gave him what Seonghwa had to consider as the best morning suck in his life. With no worries in the world, he took the offer when Hongjoong led his hands to his hair and pulled gently at the roots while ecstasy took its sweet time to wake him. When he came with sweet shudders and a low moan down Hongjoong’s throat, the man didn’t mind at all. He even cleaned Seonghwa up before he pulled off.

They basked in a few minutes of silence as the golden light of day began to filter through the windows. When Hongjoong stretched in the sheets, Seonghwa seized the moment to wrap his arm around the man’s narrow waist. Hongjoong barely flinched and let himself be pulled close.

“You can take a shower here if you want.” Hongjoong’s mumble was even raspier in the morning. He nuzzled Seonghwa’s neck that was no doubt spotted with hickeys like the night sky with stars.

“Sounds good. Want to grab breakfast together?” Seonghwa felt over the nightstand to find the contact lenses that Hongjoong thankfully had reminded him to take out before sleeping. Last night had been a mess for both of them, and it was only after their third orgasms that Hongjoong had enough of Seonghwa pounding him into the sheets so that they could sleep. It had worked like a charm, though. Seonghwa was relaxed and sated.

Hongjoong hummed in agreement before he rolled over and dozed off again. With a chuckle, Seonghwa collected his pants and shirt from the night prior and disappeared into the bathroom. He had worn the flimsy underwear Wooyoung had insisted on during most of the night because Hongjoong liked it too much to take it off him. It was positively ruined by now, and Seonghwa would rather fold his jacket and carry it in front of his crotch rather than figure it out once more.

A very cleansing and fulfilling shower later, Seonghwa stepped out into the room again. Once he had shooed Hongjoong under the water, he spent his time checking work emails with his phone and getting giddy every two minutes. Sleeping with Hongjoong had been great, and despite his shyness, Seonghwa knew it was a decision he wouldn’t have to regret later on. Rather, it was something that he would treasure as a good memory and maybe even yearn for in lonely nights.

Hongjoong was quicker at showering than Seonghwa was. When the man emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later with his hair dripping all over the floor, Seonghwa had barely gotten through his third e-mail. He put them aside when Hongjoong dropped down next to him on the bed. By now, he had washed off all of his makeup, and his soft, bare-faced beauty had Seonghwa swoon all over again. Dark and sexy Hongjoong was a sight to behold, but in his soft state, Seonghwa needed to watch a movie with him and drink hot chocolate while wrapped into warm blankets all the more.

“What do you usually eat for breakfast?” Hongjoong ruffled his hair with a towel roughly. Wincing, Seonghwa took the offending object from him and patted the other man’s hair dry. Hongjoong leaned into his touch like a satisfied cat.

“We could get some pastries,” Seonghwa offered. Under his hands, Hongjoong nodded his head.

“Want to eat here?”

“Sure, why not? Let’s leave the windows open until we come back though.” Seonghwa already pitied the poor cleaning crew that had to take care of everything they wouldn’t be able to fix until later. Maybe he would leave them a tip as an apology.

The two men set out looking all big and bad in the masses of soft and pretty clad Koreans. Their clothing stood out, but at least nobody recognised Hongjoong as a celebrity. Seonghwa blinked his eyes against the annoying lenses a lot. He missed his glasses, as slippery as they were.

A few pastries and some chocolate milk from the store richer, they returned to their room. While they watched some episode of a random reality show on TV, Seonghwa checked the message he had received from his boss.

“Hey, how does Wednesday sound for you in regards to meeting my boss? Do you have time then?”

Seonghwa glanced up to catch Hongjoong mid-bite. The man’s eyes looked ridiculously big and innocent like this. Seonghwa couldn’t stop his lips from twitching into a crooked smile.

Hongjoong swallowed before he replied.

“Sure, sounds good.”

“Then I will text him back, and you can come over on Wednesday.”

“Hey, button-up.”

Seonghwa rose his eyes to Hongjoong; his mind distracted with the task at hand.

“Let’s go on a date later that week.”

A deep blush crawled over Seonghwa’s cheek and neck. When Hongjoong merely gave an endeared chuckle, Seonghwa shyly rose his hand to push his hair back. More than ever, he was aware of the lack of glasses on his face. He missed them.

“Alright, sure. I would like that.”

His reward was a knowing smile. Then, both of them went back to eating.

Seonghwa had to leave soon after their breakfast to finish his documents. The two men parted at the station where Hongjoong sent Seonghwa off with a grin and another lovely kiss to his cheek. The whole ride home, Seonghwa enjoyed the innocent and also less innocent memories of their time together. They had ingrained themselves in his head like his favourite book, and he treasured their every aspect.

He stopped when his mind strayed off to the image of Hongjoong’s bowed lips around his girth. Those were not the thoughts he needed to have in public.

Seonghwa arrived home exhausted from the little sleep and amount of new experiences he had made in just one night. Once he fell down onto his cosy warm sofa, he immediately slumbered away.

By the time Seonghwa woke from his nap, it was already late in the afternoon, and his job called for him. He watered his cacti and succulents first that decorated every free space in his home and let some fresh air in to wake up. Then, he sat down in his neat home office area and cracked his knuckles before he went to work.

Typing out documents always took him a while. He wasn’t the fastest writer, especially today; it seemed as if his mind was occupied with something else. Or rather, someone else. Hongjoong’s dark stare and handsome smirk kept dancing in his mind.

Once he was halfway finished, Seonghwa took a twenty-minute break. He texted Wooyoung thanks that he had helped him with his looks and that he had succeeded (not specified in which regard.) Wooyoung replied back before Seonghwa could even switch the chats and bombarded him with a ton of questions how it went.

Seonghwa ignored him for now and also told Yunho about his newest accomplishment. Yunho replied ten minutes later while Seonghwa was busy placating a screaming Wooyoung that hollered how he couldn’t wait to meet Hongjoong in person.

When even San texted Seonghwa shortly before his break ended asking him on how he had managed to win Hongjoong over, Seonghwa knew that he and Wooyoung must be together again. The questions that burned in Seonghwa’s mind had to wait, though. First documents, then dating fantasies about Hongjoong.

He finished on time. Once all the essential files were saved onto his USB and sent to the people they belonged to, Seonghwa slumped back into his chair satisfied. After a few minutes of scrolling through all of his files once more and making sure he had them at least twice, he rose to make dinner.

With the boiler merrily working away to make him some tea, Seonghwa stood at the stove and gathered his ingredients. He pondered calling Wooyoung for a while, unsure if he could handle the distraction while he attempted to cook. In the end, however, his curiosity won, and he dialled the man’s number.

“Seonghwa! You ignored my messages!” Wooyoung immediately yelled at him as if Seonghwa hadn’t mentioned he was busy. Seonghwa chuckled awkwardly.

“More to talk about in person. Great, right?”

Suspicious silence sounded over the receiver. Then, Wooyoung gave a diplomatic hum.

“Fine, but only because you have the information I need. So, tell me everything.”

Seonghwa heated up the stove to deny the warmth on his own face. He hoped Wooyoung wouldn’t notice it over the phone.

“What is there to tell? I went to the concert, met with Kim, and we set up the contract. He will be in the firm on Wednesday; I might introduce him to the trainees.”

In the background from Wooyoung’s side, a loud hoot interrupted. Wooyoung hissed at San to be quiet. Shaking his head, Seonghwa put the tea in his mug that read ‘how to pick up chicks’ followed by a comic panel that showed a stick figure scooping up a tiny yellow bird from the ground. His brother had gifted this mug to Seonghwa when he came out as gay as a weird token of solidarity. He was a good brother.

“Oh, I would love to meet him and get a sign. Is he single?”

San’s protests came closer, and Wooyoung had to shush him indiscreetly. Seonghwa rolled his eyes at their bickering good-naturedly. Instead, he denied the jealously that filled his chest even at the mere mention of Wooyoung dating Hongjoong despite it being a joke. Pridefully, he swallowed it down and even out his voice.

“I suppose he is. Not that we talked about it, our meeting was strictly professional.”

“You fucked, didn’t you?”

Seonghwa nearly burned his hands on his tea. His offended gasp had Wooyoung giggle.

“How dare you?! How did you know?”

“I dressed you so he would do exactly that, Hwa, have some confidence in my skills!” His whine was anything but actually offended. He sounded rather smug.

“Fine, yes, we did. Take the point, you succeeded.”

“How much detail may I dig for before you chop my head off?”

Seonghwa put his mug down and added his pasta to his boiling water. The aroma of the herb tea relaxed his mind and revived his senses.

“No digging! Consider your head chopped off the moment you ask!”

Like the squeaks of an overjoyed seal, Wooyoung’s cackle sounded over the phone. Seonghwa turned on the speaker and inwardly apologised to his neighbours as he put the phone on the counter. He needed both hands to prepare a salad.

“Fine, alright. I hope you had a good time anyway! Your whole department had bets ongoing when the poor nerd managed to get laid finally.”

“Wooyoung, I swear to god-”

“Yunho always trusted in you.”

Blushing, Seonghwa had to take a second to calm down again. He couldn’t believe the environment he worked in. But even less he could believe that of all people, the weird, shy nerd had managed to get laid by a man with as much roaring sex appeal as Hongjoong. Seonghwa was way too shy to boast with that, but he would remember this day.

“Thanks, sounds as if you didn’t. Anyways, the reason why I actually called is a different one.”

“Hit me.”

“You are with San, aren’t you?”

For a moment, Wooyoung’s voice wavered. Since it was Seonghwa, though, he didn’t falter.

“Yeah, he’s here. Came for a doggy date with Shiber.”

Seonghwa put the cucumber, carrots, tomatoes and corn in one bowl to mix it. Then, he added his favourite vinegar that his whole family gagged over.

“No, I meant as in your relationship. You are boyfriends, aren’t you?” He said it softly as to not scare Wooyoung away with the knowledge that he had guessed right. Then he tried to push his hair out of his eyes with his clean forearms. He failed. Annoyed, he threw his head around until he was satisfied. Then, he pushed up his glasses with his forearms. That worked.

“Oh… Yeah. We are.”

Seonghwa appreciated Wooyoung’s honesty. Of course, he wouldn’t abuse the trust to gossip around, just how he knew that Wooyoung wouldn’t tell anyone about him and Hongjoong.

“Is this approved by the chairman? I’m not asking to get you in trouble, but-”

“You want to know if it would be fine to date Hongjoong once he joined this company?”

Astounded by his sharp mind, Seonghwa nodded. Then, he verbally agreed once more.

Wooyoung sighed. Over the phone, Seonghwa heard San and the dog in the background as they played with each other.

“See, we are a special case. As his direct teacher and spokesperson, it was difficult to convince the boss man to leave us be. In the end, he said he didn’t care though, especially since it’s same-sex and it’s unlikely that people would find out and judge. I suppose that rule counts for you and Hongjoong too, even if he is openly bi. But since you work in an entirely different department and don’t even have direct contact with him all the time, there are no major rules you offend. I think if you ask him about it, he will allow it without much of a hassle.”

Wooyoung’s kind words reassured the little panicked part of Seonghwa’s brain. He was scared of falling for Hongjoong too hard when they would have to part because of company guidelines in a few weeks. Now with Wooyoung’s comfort, though, he felt more inclined to enjoy his date with Hongjoong to the best of his ability.

“Thanks a lot, Wooyoung. I’m glad it worked out for the two of you.”

“I hope we can say the same about you and Hongjoong in the future. Keep me updated if you want to.”

This time, Seonghwa easily agreed. They continued to chat all through his cooking and eating time since Wooyoung didn’t want him to have a sad meal on his own. San joined in after a while and commented on everything, too. Their company had time pass in a rush. When it was time to do the dishes, Seonghwa ultimately said his goodbyes. After a bit more of pouting and joking about how Seonghwa chose the dishes over them, the two finally ended the call. While it had lasted longer than Seonghwa had anticipated, he hadn’t been bothered by it.

Seonghwa spent the rest of his day and Sunday with his one hobby: plants. He spent his time tending to every little green friend in his house, looked up the ways of healing a sick one, and played the mobile application on his phone where he also tended for plants (but fantasy ones!) Usually, when he made his portfolios and little collages from their leaves and spent his hours decorating the pages with pretty calligraphy and facts about them, he listened to some peaceful and numbing flute music. This weekend, it was a playlist of Hongjoong’s songs that he had found on YouTube that continuously played in the background. Sometimes, Seonghwa hummed along or tapped his feet to the beat. Hongjoong’s voice bewitched him all over again, no matter how often he heard it.

Monday came around all too quickly, and as capitalism called for Seonghwa, he decided to put another week of hard work in. Right now, he had a certain reputation to uphold. If he wanted to be one of the youngest scouts to employ a person as talented at Hongjoong, he needed to show that he was indeed worthy of that title.

With a neat white button-up that accentuated his dark braces that held his pants neatly in place, he left to work. Once he arrived, Yunho immediately pulled him aside to congratulate him on his success. Their apartment chief also went easier on him than on prior days and didn’t comment negatively on Seonghwa.

Seonghwa’s heart was spurred into working hard even more. First, he needed his coffee, though. While his computer booted, he grabbed his little silver thermos from his bag and scurried across the corridor to the break room. He greeted another woman there who just left when he came in.

His company was a modern one. They actually had a machine whose sole task it was to dispense ice cubes. Seonghwa didn’t know in what work exactly it relieved him of during the time to took to get one from the fridge quickly, but he wouldn’t complain. Still, he struggled to align his thermos with the disperser since it was too tall.

The best he could do was diagonal, so he oddly angled it and pressed the button. While he waited for the humming machine to act, he mindlessly adjusted his gold-rimmed specs and his neat hair.

Once the cubes came, he wasn’t ready. The tumbled over the rim of his bottle, and some dropped to the floor. With clumsy movements, Seonghwa managed to catch two other ones. Awkwardly and praying that no one had heard the loud noise of him spilling, he put them down on the drip piece. Extra slowly and quietly.

Silently, he glared at the seven cubes from which two had landed in his thermos. He remembered why he usually went for a cup instead and suffered through too soon cold coffee.

Then, he tried again.

His smarter tactics of cupping the rim with his hand so that more ice would actually fall inside nearly worked. But only until an amused voice spoke up behind him.

“So, this is what you are doing the whole day? Man, looks difficult.”

Seonghwa didn’t mind the rest of the ice cubes that scattered to the ground. As he whipped around with his bottle in his hand, the ice inside clanked against the metal in protest.

Hongjoong stood in the door. And he looked scarily stylish today. He wore a beret over his head and had pushed his hair back to expose his pointy features fully. An attempt was made with the black suit pants and braces he wore, but those black braces with the white lining that reached over a simple black shirt held a skirt on his hips rather than his pants. Well, not fully a skirt. It had a thin slit at the front that had Seonghwa’s belly clench just at the sight of it.

As if it was his casual fashion, the singer also wore a choker around his neck made from the same pattern as his plaited skirt.

Seonghwa was left speechless for a good minute. Then, he said the only sensical thing that came to his mind.

“You dyed your hair?”

Chuckling, Hongjoong reached towards his heavily pierced ears with their dangling accessories. He brushed the few strands of blue hair that peeked from underneath his pretty hat.

“Ah, yeah, I did. Do you like it?”

“You’re gorgeous,” was the only thing that Seonghwa could choke out. With a satisfied grin, Hongjoong crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame.

It took Seonghwa another long minute of staring at him until he regained his bearings.

“Alright, wait. What are you doing here? I told you Wednesday, didn’t I?” Suddenly, Seonghwa didn’t remember. He only remembered the feel of Hongjoong’s body underneath his fingers and his sweet kisses that tasted of strawberries and lemons.

“Yeah, but something came up on Wednesday. So I contacted your boss myself and rescheduled. I also wanted to send you nudes last night, but then I remembered I don’t have your number. Do you see all the hassle without it?”

Seonghwa winced. He wanted to busy his hands with something to hide his blush away, but he still held onto his bottle as if it would save his life. Ultimately, he bent over to pick up the ice cubes before they melted into the carpet. They left dark stains of wetness there anyway. He pretended not to see them.

“I’m pretty sure I gave you my business card.”

“I think you gave Youjin your business card. Because that’s how I got your firm’s number. But I never got your personal one. How many dates do you need until you give it out? Scheduling can get difficult without means of contact.”

Seonghwa’s hands shook as he desperately peeked behind Hongjoong. If anybody came down that corridor right now, he would be done for. Hongjoong merely revelled in his shyness. Quickly, Seonghwa tried to change the topic into something more harmless that was coworker-friendly to hear.

“So- So you have your meeting today?”

This time, Hongjoong took the bait. His smirk was still playful, though, as he strutted closer to lean against the large table next to the kitchen aisle.

“At 2, yeah. I asked the receptionist for you, though, since I figured you could accompany me there. If I stand next to you, surely your colleagues won’t say no.”

Wasn’t that the technique that worked on mums? Seonghwa felt entirely defeated by Hongjoong and every stupidly attractive word that came from his lips.

“Sure, I can do that. Oh, I should go back anyway! Ah-” Helpless, Seonghwa glanced between the coffee machine and his tumbler. Before he could make a decision, however, Hongjoong already stepped in. He took the bottle from Seonghwa’s hands and filled it with a sweet chocolate drink instead of waiting for the long process of coffee. Then, he safely put the cap on the bottle and motioned Seonghwa to go first.

Slightly awkward, but at least glad that Hongjoong had quickly resolved the issue, Seonghwa took him back to his department. As he pushed the door open, merry chatter and Yunho’s laughter greeted them. Once his colleagues noticed the new man in the room, however, their discussions quickly died down. Curious heads peeked over each cubicle.

Seonghwa hurried to put his bottle down and gesture towards Hongjoong.

“Everyone, meet Kim Hongjoong. He originally had an appointment on Wednesday, but he rescheduled, and that’s why he’s here.”

A cheerful chorus of greetings responded. All of them had worked one way or the other on Hongjoong’s file by now, and his face wasn’t a surprise to any of them. Two female coworkers immediately started to whisper to each other and eyed him up and down.

The department chief hurried over first. With an award-winning smile that had nothing to do with the stern glances he gave his underlings all the time, he bowed to Hongjoong. Quickly, Hongjoong bowed back and shook the man’s hand.

“A pleasure to meet you, Mister Kim! I’m the boss around here, and I am elated to greet you here today! I knew it was the right decision to let Seonghwa take your case!” He patted Seonghwa’s shoulder proudly. Seonghwa leered at him. That was not what had happened. Not as if he would complain against the crumbs of praise.

“Oh, yes, he did great work. I absolutely couldn’t resist his arguments. Thank you a lot for reaching out.” Hongjoong’s grin was innocent, but Seonghwa nervously played with his braces when he read too much into it. He prayed that no one saw him advert his eyes.

“Wonderful! Then, are you here to meet the chairman?”

“Indeed. May I lend Mister Park for today and have him guide me around?”

Eagerly, the boss nodded.

“Of course, of course! Take good care of him, Seonghwa!” He had never been as friendly before. Seonghwa forced himself to a smile.

“I will, yes. Well then, excuse us!”

Seonghwa snatched his bottle before he led Hongjoong out of the door. Outside, he exhaled audibly.

Hongjoong winked at him. His empathy for the tense situation blended through his casual behaviour.

“Do you always wear your shirts closed up until the top at work?”

Distracted by the sudden question, Seonghwa glanced down on his well-dressed body. He couldn’t spot the topmost button from here, but he felt it dig into his neck at this angle.

“Yes.”

Hongjoong glanced around for a moment. When nobody was around to catch them, he leaned in closer to murmur against Seonghwa’s ear.

“And do you wear the same kind of underwear as you do on concert nights?”

Seonghwa gasped at him, also sparing a peer at their surroundings. Then, he glared at Hongjoong.

“That’s hardly appropriate attire!” His whisper-yells were so quiet he nearly didn’t hear them himself. When Hongjoong laughed, warm air brushed against Seonghwa’s neck.

“Abolish that system.”

With his skirt swaying with the movement of his hips, Hongjoong took the lead. Seonghwa stood and stared for a few seconds longer until the man glanced over his shoulder. When he was caught checking him out, Seonghwa hastily returned to the man’s side.

He led Hongjoong up to his meeting with the chairman first. While he was inside, Seonghwa could lounge orderly and with his legs neatly clasped together on the sofa in the waiting room. No sound came from the other side of the door, so Seonghwa distracted his insecure hands with the care of his virtual plants. From time to time, the secretary near him looked at him funny, but they spent the time in peaceful silence.

By the time Hongjoong emerged, Seonghwa had already typed three documents to get some work done in the long hours. His drink was finished, and the bottle as his side was empty. It was now late afternoon, and the bell had already chimed for everyone to go home and enjoy their evening. The secretary had already packed her bag and merely waited for her boss to emerge. When the door finally opened and the chairman, as well as Hongjoong, stepped out, she quickly sat up straight. Seonghwa also rose from his seat and greeted the two men that caught up to him.

“Mister Park! Congratulations on scouting well done! This will look formidable on your resume! I hope you will wrap this up neatly and provide Mister Kim with anything he might need!”

Seonghwa profusely thanked the man. With a big grin on his face, Hongjoong stood next to them. He basically glowed with satisfaction, and Seonghwa fought the urge to turn randomly and hug him just because he looked as if he was brimming to share his excitement.

“Consider it done, Sir! Thank you very much for your time!”

“You worked hard, boy, now go take a break. As for you, Mister Kim, see you next week!” The man smiled kindly at both of them before he disappeared back into his office. Jittery, Seonghwa turned to look at Hongjoong.

“So?!”

The man’s grin was sly as that of a cat. It held mischief.

“What are your dinner plans for tonight, Seonghwa?”

“Is this considered one of your needs?”

“Definitely, alongside with your number and your dick. I will need all of these today.”

Seonghwa spluttered. His face took on a bright red colour. Hongjoong had him blush an awful lot.

“I- I’ll see what I can provide. So I can officially call you a coworker now?”

“Yep. All contracts are signed, and I am officially part of the team.” With a sunny smile, Hongjoong linked their arms together. As he pulled Seonghwa towards the elevator, the thought that he would see Hongjoong very often in his firm from now on slowly settled. And it sounded way too good to be true.

Once they were in the elevator, Hongjoong promptly wrapped his arms around Seonghwa’s neck. Carefully, the other man looked around in the empty space around them. There was only him and Hongjoong’s form with that vexing skirt that clung to his hips. Subtly, Seonghwa settled his hands on Hongjoong’s hips, not brave enough to reach underneath the skirt. Hongjoong ached into his chest with a sultry grin on his lips.

“Don’t be shy, Hwa. I think everybody left already.”

Despite his murmur, Seonghwa couldn’t help but be tense. If the elevator doors slid open, he and Hongjoong would be offered like two lobsters on silver platters. He couldn’t allow his newfound responsibility to go down the drain right away. Thus, he only distracted Hongjoong with a kiss to his forehead. With a pout, Hongjoong took it and stepped away once the door opened.

All lights were out spare for the main ones when they arrived on their floor. The office was also locked already, so Seonghwa used his key card to open it. Then, he held the door for Hongjoong to slip in first.

Since he only needed to fetch his bag, Seonghwa turned the lights on at the front and marched over to his table. While he collected all of his belongings and shoved them into his bag impatiently, Hongjoong hopped up onto the table next to him and cheerfully kicked his legs as he waited. Sometimes, Seonghwa’s gaze wandered over to him and the way the skirt so prettily fell over his crotch, then he quickly looked away again. Their game continued until Seonghwa had said goodnight to Bartholomew and Sir Stabbington III. He was just about to shoulder his bag and turn when a soft moan to his left had him freeze.

Seonghwa shyly glanced over only to find Hongjoong still on the table, but now with his head thrown back. He had lost his beret, and his blue hair shone in the few lights as he slowly moved his hand underneath his skirt. Right where the skirt split, he had sneakily slipped his fingers under the fabric. When another moan threatened to spill from his lips, he bit them sensually.

“Hongjoong- Not in the office.” Despite his scandalised words, Seonghwa stepped in between the man’s spread legs. His hand slipped underneath the skirt to take over for Hongjoong and grasp his hardened length. As if made for his hand, Hongjoong’s soft flesh fit into his palm.

“That’s what you say… And here you are looking at me as if you want to eat me.” Hongjoong chuckled as he reached out for the collar of Seonghwa’s shirt. He popped the buttons open one by one until he had access to Seonghwa’s chest. His fingers immediately roamed the smooth flesh and had Seonghwa flinch whenever he brushed a sensitive spot.

“I knew that you were stuck up, but I didn’t know it was braces stuck up.”

“You are aware of the braces you are wearing, right?” Irritated, Seonghwa flicked his wrist sharply. Hongjoong moaned out loud, but nobody was there to hear it. They were far from the glass wall, too, and the next building as tall as them over was a good distance away.

“For me, it’s fashion. You wear them fully serious.” Hongjoong slipped his deft fingers underneath the stretchy material and let it snap against Seonghwa’s chest. A sudden yelp escaped Seonghwa at the pleasure that travelled from the slight pain on his nipples right towards his crotch. Impatiently, he pressed closer to Hongjoong, who willingly welcomed him between his legs.

The singer received his closeness by knocking Seonghwa’s hands off him. Instead, he slid slightly back on the table and brought one knee up to press directly against Seonghwa’s middle. Surprised, Seonghwa reached for it with one hand, not exactly pushing away.

“Help me out of my shoes and pants, will you? If you do good, I’ll let you fuck me.”

Seonghwa swallowed harshly at the dismissal in his voice. His every cell burned to please the man and make sure he got whatever he wanted. The humiliation of getting ordered around seemed to make it all the hazier. No reason to disobey here.

“As you wish.”

Seonghwa made quick work of the man’s shoes. He put them on the chair behind him neatly and with the utmost concentration as if Hongjoong wasn’t slowly rutting his shin against him. At every press against Seonghwa, his hands shook more, but he tried his best to work cleanly. So far, he held up well despite Hongjoong’s teasing.

Hongjoong made it increasingly difficult for him, however. Once Seonghwa had successfully relieved the man of his pants and looked down on his beautiful form with only the skirt still covering him, he changed the game. His hands came up to grab at Seonghwa’s braces and pulled the man in for a kiss. His tongue was evil and plundered Seonghwa’s mouth in the best of ways that left him breathless and yearning for more. His arousal angrily strained against his pants.

“Alright, I want you to fuck me, but keep your glasses on. And don’t adjust them even a single time. If they fall off, you can’t continue.”

Seonghwa faltered in his movements. That challenge sounded tough to do with his glasses that had a long story of falling right off his nose. However, as Seonghwa gazed into Hongjoong’s eyes, he knew that there was no option to discuss. Either he took this offer, or he stopped altogether. At his nonverbal approval, Hongjoong smirked and threw him the little container with lube he must have carried in his pants earlier.

“Do you need preparation?”

Hongjoong mildly shook his head. His fingers tightened around Seonghwa’s braces when he pulled him down to meet him on the table once more.

“I am ready.”

Seonghwa wrapped an arm around Hongjoong’s arched back and kissed him deeply. His other hand adjusted the hold of the other man’s legs around his waist. When he deemed them as comfortable as possible on the little table, he freed his aching length from their soft prison. Not much effort went into that. He just opened his pants and pushed his underwear down, so he had access to his raging arousal. It jerked at his first touch with lubed fingers to it. He already predicted the oversensitivity, but he couldn’t blame himself. His every sensation was magnified by the mere presence of the man with the wild blue hair that was currently sprawled beneath him on the table.

Seonghwa knocked his hip painfully against the edge of his table when he finally lowered his body on Hongjoong’s. He didn’t mind since the sensation of Hongjoong’s warm body around him resolved anything else. He had to concentrate on going slow even as Hongjoong clawed at his shoulders with his painted nails. His glasses slipped precariously when his skin gradually grew more slippery with sweat. Once Hongjoong additionally shoved his hand into Seonghwa’s hair to pull at the grey stands, Seonghwa suspected him of cheating, too.

Not that he cared for now.

For now, he just regarded the way that Hongjoong writhed beneath him as he was breached deeply. Seonghwa had grabbed both sides of the man’s waist since he knew the man liked it, and also to keep his grip on him. Even as Hongjoong gasped and threw his head back, he had no way of escaping the constant slide of their bodies against each other. Seonghwa’s body seemed to burn from inside out when the sweet waves of pleasure washed over him. He could feel their bodies pulsing with each other.

“Move.”

Seonghwa immediately obeyed and pulled back slightly, only to push back in carefully. His glasses slipped further, and he scrunched his nose to keep them where they were. Hongjoong made a tutting noise at him.

“No cheating. Now get those hips moving.”

Entranced by the way his skirt fanned out around his hips, Seonghwa went to pounding into Hongjoong. The singer’s braces limply laid around his arms, and his leaking length left dark spots on the inside of the skirt. Seonghwa detected some tremors in Hongjoong’s body whenever his tip rubbed over the fabric the slightest bit too harshly, and he made use of that. When his thrusts grew faster, he angled their hips on purpose so that Hongjoong had to suffer through more of the excruciating touches.

Hongjoong gasped around a stuttering breath. His fingers in Seonghwa’s hair and on his chest stilled when a violent shudder took over his body. Little praises and mumbles of Seonghwa’s name tumbled from his lips.

His blue hair looked beautiful on the white wood of the table.

Seonghwa was so busy with his mission to ruin Hongjoong in the best way possible and feel that delicious clench around him, that he completely forgot about his glasses. Until at once, they dropped from his face and fell onto Hongjoong’s chest.

Immediately, he stilled. He hesitated more out of surprise than Hongjoong’s earlier warning, but it did the trick. Hongjoong immediately turned to blink his blown eyes at the offending object.

“Oh no, Seonghwa, why now? Just when we were having fun.” The disappointment in Hongjoong’s voice pulled on Seonghwa’s heartstrings. Wincing, he buried his face in his own shoulder.

“I’m sorry.”

With a theatrically long sigh, Hongjoong stretched his arms above his head. His body was still connected with Seonghwa, and at the movement, he clenched tightly around the other man. Seonghwa gritted his jaw through the urge to press him down and fuck him senseless. Hongjoong had the constant dread in the back of Seonghwa’s mind that they were doing this in the office, in a sacred place that didn’t belong either of them playing into his advantage.

“Fine, you messed up. Pull out.”

With a bit more emotional effort, Seonghwa managed to heed his order. Hongjoong chuckled at his helpless form, and embarrassed, Seonghwa turned his head away from him when his dick twitched at the sound.

“On your knees.”

Seonghwa didn’t think as he fell to the ground. Hongjoong followed him, but he swung himself into Seonghwa’s green office chair. He leaned back with his legs spread and his skirt covering his arousal but not the dent it put in the fabric.

“Suck me off. Don’t you dare come while you do, I will watch your hands.”

With a pitiful whine about his punishment, Seonghwa shuffled forwards on his knees. Like a good boy, he crossed his arms behind his back and expectantly looked up at Hongjoong. Being taken care of and ordered around filled his insides with happiness and warm heat. He liked it all the more since he barely knew Hongjoong, but the man knew his needs so well.

“Go on.”

Seonghwa dipped down to brush the skirt aside with his nose. Once he had access to Hongjoong’s length, he immediately descended down on it and took as much as possible down his throat. The warm weight on his tongue had him slip into subspace completely, and he leaned his head against Hongjoong’s thigh as he worked his mouth on him. He took Hongjoong with patience, going deep and heady to make up for his earlier mess-up.

When he glanced up the next time, Hongjoong was wearing his glasses. Like a high-ranking gentleman, he looked down on Seonghwa and controlled his movements with a hand in his hair. His lidded gaze had Seonghwa shuddering.

Before he knew it, one of his hands had already sneaked up front and wrapped around his leaking length to ease some of its pain.

Hongjoong noticed immediately and yanked Seonghwa’s head off him.

“Yah! What did I tell you? You are trying hard to be a bad boy today, aren’t you?”

Immediately, Seonghwa shook his head. Frantic hectic overcame him. Tears clouded his vision from the rough pull on his roots.

“No, no, no, I swear! I didn’t do it on purpose, please! Please give me another chance!” Desperately, he buried his face in Hongjoong’s crotch. Burning humiliation seized him once more and had his face heat up, but he nuzzled against the other man’s cock obscenely anyway. With it laying against his cheek as if he held his favourite stuffed toy, he blearily blinked up at Hongjoong.

“Please?” His voice was soft and tiny.

Hongjoong gave a rough scoff.

“Give me your hands.”

Obediently, Seonghwa reached them up to the other man. Hongjoong grabbed them roughly and held them against his stomach. He crossed Seonghwa’s wrists and pinned them against his body with his tiny hands.

“Fine. Try again.”

Now obscured by his shoulders and hands, Seonghwa found it incredibly harder to suck the other man off, but he made the best out of it. As he sunk down again, he felt secure and cared for in Hongjoong’s grasp.

Hongjoong didn’t take much longer to reach his orgasm. His length swelled and pulsed in Seonghwa’s mouth as he hollowed his cheeks and swiped his tongue over the sensitive tip that Hongjoong treasured so much. Then, a few reduced thrusts against Seonghwa later, Hongjoong peaked with his name on his lips. The taste of his warm come spread on Seonghwa’s tongue, and he submissively lapped it up until the last drop.

Only then, Hongjoong allowed him to pull back. He was gorgeous as he sat debauched on that chair, and every single cell in Seonghwa screamed at him to pull the man into his lap and fill him up. However, that was not what Hongjoong wanted. The man stood and reached for the pants and shoes he had knocked down the chair earlier.

Seonghwa knelt on the floor with his eyes lowered and his hands on his knees as he waited. The continuous kneeling hurt his joints, but he wasn’t about to protest. He bit his lip when Hongjoong zipped up his clothes and fixed the beret on top of his head.

“What is it, Seonghwa? Won't you accept your punishment? After all, you disregarded my rules twice.”

“Please…” Seonghwa was quick to beg. He had worked hard, and his throat was sore now, but he still wanted to please Hongjoong and get the reproach out of his tone.

“You fucked me well, but then you dropped your glasses. I would have let you come if you hadn’t touched yourself afterwards.”

At the reminder, Seonghwa winced. He hid behind his hair still.

“Please… I’ll do anything.”

Anything against the shame of having to walk outside and go home with a raging boner in his pants.

Hongjoong stood next to him for a long moment, just thinking. Then, he reached out for Seonghwa’s chin. As he angled it upwards, Seonghwa got an eyeful of his beautiful thighs. For his height, Hongjoong had long legs. When Hongjoong carefully put the glasses back on Seonghwa’s face, the man blinked slowly.

“Do you take spanks?”

Seonghwa eagerly nodded. That was a form of punishment he could live with.

“Alright, fine. Then lean over that table. Face down and ass up.”

Never before in his life, Seonghwa had moved so quickly. His sadly weeping length still hung from his pants when he flattened out over the cool table and spread his legs until he stood at a comfortable height.

Hongjoong aided him by taking his braces off so he could lower Seonghwa’s pants just over the swell of his butt. Then, his smooth hands travelled over it to get used to the feeling. Seonghwa was as still as a grave as he desperately tried to dodge any further hesitation from Hongjoong.

“Pretty. What about you isn’t pretty, Seonghwa?”

Hongjoong pulled the chair closer to sit down on it and get the front row view of Seonghwa’s exposed backside. Despite knowing he was perfectly clean and shaved to smoothness, Seonghwa blushed at the proximity. His fingers balled into fists when he had nothing to hold onto.

“My eyes… They aren’t similar to each other.”

Hongjoong’s hand came down with a resounding smack. It echoed in the empty office and mixed with the sweet yelp from Seonghwa’s lips. Immediately, Hongjoong smoothed his palm over the irritated skin to calm it down. Seonghwa hiccuped into his table. It was difficult to position his face with the askew glasses on his face.

“That was a big lie. Tell me another one.”

“I don’t like my chin.”

Another slap.

“Or my nose.”

Once more.

“I also have this weird birthmark on my hip.”

At every smack from Hongjoong, Seonghwa’s dick jerked. The poor thing was probably majorly neglected by now and already turning blue. Heavily, it hung between Seonghwa’s thighs and screamed for attention.

“What else?”

Seonghwa tried hard to concentrate. By now, no clear thought crossed his mind apart from the overwhelming need to come and get a hug.

“Uh… I- Sometimes I don’t like my smile because it looks so awkward.” He mumbled into the table. Hongjoong landed another hit, the hardest one so far. It had Seonghwa yelp and flinch away from the pleasant sensation.

Hongjoong rested after that last hit. Then, he reached both hands between Seonghwa’s thighs and grasped his erection. Like a farmer would do to a cow, he massaged Seonghwa in this very incriminating position.

Seonghwa lost his every sense when his orgasm finally washed over him. Like a flood, it ripped away all of the pain and negativity and left him pleasantly numb. In the form of a liquid jelly puddle, he sunk against the table once Hongjoong was done milking him. He had even been smart enough to catch Seonghwa’s come in a tissue.

When Hongjoong rolled Seonghwa around to fix his clothing and smooth out his hair as one would do to a toddler, he cooed gentle words at Seonghwa.

“I want you to know that all of these aspects about you are gorgeous, Seonghwa. I like them a lot about you.”

Seonghwa peered at him over his slipped glasses. His eyes were reproachful. With a laugh, Hongjoong adjusted his specs for him.

“Now, let’s go and grab a bite to eat. I sure hope you feel those spanks.”

When Seonghwa slipped off the table with the other man’s help, he grimaced. The soft fabric of his underwear felt like too much pressure on his sensitive backside, but at the same time, the feeling was all too good.

“I do. Let’s go.”

Chuckling, Hongjoong put Seonghwa’s bag on his own shoulder. Once he had linked their arms, they slowly made their way out of the door. Seonghwa shut the lights off and locked the door behind them once more. Then, they wandered over to the elevator like a peaceful old couple that hadn’t just fucked in front of Seonghwa’s succulent children.

“What do you want to eat? It’s on me.”

Seonghwa hummed as he went over the possible options in his head.

“How does chicken sound? I could use some beer right now.”

With a chuckle, Hongjoong agreed. He already called the place when they were on their way to Seonghwa’s home and ordered enough food to last them through a whole winter. Seonghwa bet they would wolf it down in less than thirty minutes.

“So, dick appointment is done. Now, your number, please.” Hongjoong held his hand out, waiting. With a chuckle, Seonghwa handed his phone over.

“You sure are desperate for it.”

Angrily, Hongjoong’s little painted nails tapped away on the device.

“Not only did we get the order wrong, but we also have it _all kinds of wrong_. We hooked up before the first date, _and_ I joined your firm and hooked up with you _again_! It’s time already.”

He gave the device back once he had sent himself a little rabbit emoji via Seonghwa’s phone. Finally, he saved his number. Then, he grinned triumphantly. Seonghwa fell in love with his pleased side profile.

They got home five minutes before their food. Seonghwa was still changing into a more comfortable shirt when Hongjoong already sprinted to get their delivery.

When they finally settled to eat, Seonghwa relaxed more. He felt at peace with Hongjoong by now, and most of his initial shyness around the man had disappeared. Of course, he still blushed and tripped at any given situation, but he did it comfortably now. He knew Hongjoong wouldn’t mind.

“So, how did your meeting with our boss go?”

Seonghwa handed Hongjoong’s plate to him after he had scooped a generous amount of chicken on it. Heartily, Hongjoong ripped a bite out of the first one.

“Wonderful, just great. He looked at me with big eyes when I told him that I actually had a better offer that I didn’t take.”

Now it was Seonghwa’s turn to stare at Hongjoong with big eyes. Thankfully, the chicken had no bones for him to choke on. He had learnt from past mistakes.

“You did?”

Hongjoong nodded cheerfully.

“Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you take it?!”

Hongjoong smirked around his bite of chicken.

“As I said earlier, Park Seonghwa. Your arguments were irresistible. Also, how else would I have been able to get to fuck you dumb in your office?”

Seonghwa wanted to throw his chicken at him, but he didn’t. For the chicken’s sake.

“So our date still stands? Later this week?”

With a nod, Hongjoong sat his beret down next to him. Like beams of magical light, his blue locks fell into his forehead.

“Not as if I am not sure already that I want to ask you to be my boyfriend, but we will do things in order. You like that, don’t you?”

Seonghwa had to blush at how easily Hongjoong saw through him. He was flattered and terrified by the man’s power at the same time.

“I do.”

And unsurprisingly, no further issue came up for them. Hongjoong continued to be a big flirt, but neither their boss nor Seonghwa had anything against that. They went on countless dates and spent countless fun nights with each other.

Even years later, Seonghwa knew that Hongjoong had been his best scouting ever. Not as a talent for their agency, but as the man who kept his heart.


End file.
